Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC), a county health department responsible for managing the public health of over 60 cities and more than 575,000 people, said the region is projected to reach peak hospitalizations as respiratory diseases pick up in the winter due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
When the Cardinal last spoke with PHMDC in 2023, they had recently launched their respiratory illness dashboard, which tracks the number of COVID, influenza and RSV infections across the county.
PHMDC Communications Director Morgan Finke discussed causes and solutions for respiratory illnesses in a conversation with the Cardinal on Oct. 23.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
What are PHMDC’s current recommendations for preventing respiratory illnesses in Dane County?
Our advice for any respiratory illness at this point is pretty much the same, whether it's flu, COVID or anything else of that nature. These illnesses often spread in the same way and often have similar symptoms.
Stay home if you have symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat.
When you start to feel better, it means those symptoms are improving, and when you've been free of fever for 24 hours, that's when you know you can go without the help of medication and resume regular activities.
For the next five days, you may still be contagious to those around you. So wear a well-fitting mask when you're close to others, maintain physical distance as much as possible and limit your interaction with folks who have an increased risk of getting seriously sick due to flu or COVID.
What is PHMDC’s current situation on providing COVID-19 vaccines? According to your website, the Department does not have COVID-19 vaccines in stock at this time.
We absolutely recommend folks get up-to-date on their flu and COVID vaccines heading into the respiratory season. It's still our best protection against severe illness. The recommended guidance is to make sure you get your flu shot by Halloween.
In terms of the COVID vaccine availability in our clinics, some of the federal uncertainty earlier this fall led to some delays in ordering shipments.
But, as of this week, we do have the COVID vaccine and are currently working on opening up appointments and updating our website.
Does PHMDC offer any free or low-cost vaccination options for those whose insurance does not cover the COVID-19 vaccine or other immunizations?
Recently, shifting federal guidance has made seasonal COVID vaccination recommendations more complicated. However, Governor Tony Evers has issued a statewide standing medical order that allows anyone 6 months and older in Wisconsin to get the vaccine without a prescription and at no cost. Anyone with questions about accessing fall vaccines should reach out to their doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider to best understand the most up-to-date information.
How does the department recommend staying updated on changes in vaccines for COVID variants or respiratory illness threats?
I would recommend anyone who is interested to sign up for our blogs. You can also follow us on social media. We'll be posting throughout the respiratory season, and we also update our Respiratory Virus Dashboard every Thursday.
