Spooky Season is upon us, and right now the prospect of another COVID-19 surge is nasty trick being played on us by the ever-wiley and adaptable virus. That being said, this fall’s wave is much smaller than previous fall surges, and if we all take a few precautions, we can help minimize COVID’s disruptions to our lives as we transition to the coronavirus being an endemic presence in our lives by undertaking a few simple actions. These include:

• Get boosted! The protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines can wane over time, so it’s important to know if you are up to date on your vaccinations. Check out the page on vaccines put together by the Minnesota Department of Health! There’s been fascinating studies coming out lately that show COVID infections can raise the risk of heart complications after infection and that vaccination likely reduces the risks of these cardiac symptoms. The New York Times recently had a very good write up regarding this issue.

• Those who are at high risk and develop symptoms that could be COVID-19 should get tested right away. Prescription medication is available to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Talk to a health care provider to learn if you qualify for COVID-19 treatment and where to get it. Learn more about COVID-19 medication at COVID-19 Treatments. Dozens of Minnesota pharmacies and federally qualified health centers are participating in the federal Test to Treat program. There, you can take a COVID-19 test and, if positive, be assessed by a provider on-site. If you are eligible for treatment, you can receive and fill a prescription for pills at the same time. The federal government has a Test to Treat locator  to help find participating sites. In addition, the State of Minnesota has launched a telehealth test-to-treat app in partnership with Cue Health. For more information on this program visit the Telehealth webpage.

• If you haven’t already, get your free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government. After discontinuing providing free COVID-19 tests in May, the federal government is brining them back starting on September 25.

• Keep an eye on wastewater loads to see how much of the virus is circulating in your community. The University of Minnesota has a great online tool that tracks viral loads in wastewater across the state.

• Keep yourself up-to-date on the developments related to COVID and long COVID. New York Magazine recently had a great profile on one the doctors who is leading the research into long COVID and potential treatments.