Get vaccinated and stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines.

1)     COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

2)     Getting vaccinated is the best way to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19.

3)     The CDC recommends that everyone who is eligible stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including people with weakened immune systems.

4)     Dialysis patients should receive at least three Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

5)     Your dialysis clinic works hard to promote vaccination because vaccination reduces infection and saves lives.  All employees have their vaccination status verified when hired.  We ask that you share your vaccination status with your nurse so that we can provide you with the best care possible.

6)     If you are interested in getting vaccinated, speak with your dialysis nurse to find out where you can get your vaccine.

Wear a mask.

1)     Everyone in the dialysis clinic is required to wear a medical grade mask.  If you don’t have one, our staff will be happy to provide one for you every time you come to the clinic.

2)     We encourage all patients and staff to wear a medical grade mask when they are in crowded spaces or poorly ventilated indoor areas because dialysis patients are at higher risk for severe illness resulting from COVID-19.

3)     If you are sick and need to be around others, or are caring for someone who has COVID-19, wear a medical grade mask.

4)     Cloth masks are not as effective at preventing infection with COVID-19 as medical grade face masks.

Avoid poorly ventilated spaces and crowds.

1)     If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible.

2)     If you are at increased risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, avoid crowded places and indoor spaces that do not have fresh air from the outdoors.

3)     Your dialysis clinic is minimizing the number of visitors in the dialysis clinic for the safety of everyone in the clinic.  The Charge Nurse may refuse any visitor admission if they don’t feel this person is essential to the dialysis process.

Test to prevent spread to others.

1)     Over-the-counter self-tests are viral tests that are easy to use and produce rapid results. Self-tests can be taken anywhere, even from the comfort of your own home.  Anyone can use self-tests regardless of their vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms. 

2)     If you feel sick or you are exposed to someone who is sick or has COVID-19 without wearing a medical grade mask, you should get tested for COVID 2 days after your exposure, and again 6 days after your exposure.

3)     If you feel sick or you are exposed to someone who is sick or has COVID-19 without wearing a medical grade mask, you should call your dialysis clinic to speak with the staff about what to do.   They will let you know if it is safe for you to come in for treatment or if you need to go to the emergency room.

4)     Regardless of what type of COVID-19 test you take, a positive test result means that you have an infection.  In the event of a positive test result, you should isolate and inform your close contacts to avoid spreading disease to others.  You should also call your dialysis clinic for further instructions.  You may still be able to receive dialysis treatment even if you have COVID-19 infection.

5)     Your clinic has policies in place to safely dialyze patients who are COVID positive.

Wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer often.

1)     Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

2)     It’s especially important to wash your hands before eating or preparing food, before touching your face, after using the restroom, after leaving a public place, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, after handling your mask, after changing a diaper, after caring for someone sick, after touching animals or pets.

3)     If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

4)     Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Cover coughs and sneezes.

1)     If you are wearing a mask you can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands.

2)     If you are not wearing a mask, always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.

3)     Throw used tissues in the trash.

4)     Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and disinfect.

1)     Clean frequently-touched surfaces regularly or as needed and after you have visitors in your home. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

2)     If someone is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

3)     Use an EPA approved household disinfectant product according to manufacturer’s labeled directions.

4)     If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

Monitor your health daily.

1)     Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of taste/smell, new rashes, which can be symptoms of COVID-19.

2)     Take your temperature if symptoms develop and call your dialysis clinic or primary care doctor.

3)     Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.

 

4)     Any individual entering the dialysis clinic will be recorded on a log and screened for symptoms of COVID-19. 

Follow CDC’s recommendations for domestic and international travel.

Updated Apr. 12, 2022