Ph: 208-263-1435 Fax: 208-263-4580
Please click the link to go to the CDC website to use the Quarantine and Isolation Calculator.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html#
Please make sure to sign up for the BGH portal- you will get results faster that way. We won't call on negative results as a general rule.
If a Pt has tested positive recently, then they may test positive up to 3 months afterward. Sending them for another test may be unnecessary. They can go and get the antigen test, or let us know and we can certainly type up a letter for them to return to work.
Questions on Covid-19 Positive Quarantine Protocol? Click the CDC link below to see the recommendations!
BONNER GENERAL: Monday-Friday 8am-12pm. 520 N Third Ave, Sandpoint
NOW DOING TRAVEL TESTING!
You must have an order from your doctor.
All pre-procedure Covid testing, regardless of procedure location, will now be performed through the Bonner General Outpatient Lab. Patients will need to register through Patient Registration and will then be sent to our Outpatient Lab for Covid testing and other labs as needed. The Lab is available for testing Monday-Friday from 07:30-5:00. Patients will still need a provider order to receive testing.
NEWPORT HOSPITA: COVID-19 Test Collection Instructions: As of March 16th, Newport Community Hospital has transitioned from drive-thru to walk-up COVID-19 testing. Please follow these guidelines for all outpatient COVID-19 testing / sample collection:
Step 1: Get a doctor’s order for the COVID-19 test. Have your doctor’s office fax the order to Newport Community Hospital at (509) 447-6397.
Step 2: Call (509) 447-2441 to pre-register with Admitting for your test. If you are already at the hospital and need to pre-register, please park across the street from the hospital (along Scott St.) in the designated pre-registration area (look for the pre-registration signs). Once we have the doctor’s order, we can pre-register you when you call. Please have your insurance information available when you call. You will be given a confirmation number to present upon test collection.
Step 3: Walk to the marked COVID collection hospital entrance (from the main hospital parking lot) and call the Laboratory at (509) 447-9301. A lab technician will meet you at the door to take your sample.
COVID-19 Collection Tent Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 AM – 12 PM / 2 PM – 5 PM (pre-registration closes at 4 PM) Saturday: 9 AM – 12 PM Sunday: CLOSED Beginning 3/22/2022,
the self-pay price for the test is approximately $174, but this is subject to change.
KOOTENAI HEALTH
Current:
Tips for people being tested:
The best way for you to receive your results in an expedited manner is to utilize our portal. Please have your healthcare provider include your email on the order so that we may process your results confidentially to you as quickly as possible.
On March 29, 2022 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to allow a second booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 50 and older and those with certain immunocompromised conditions who received a booster at least 4 months ago.
The updated recommendations are: A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to people 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to people 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to people 18 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least 4 months after the first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
The FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the FDA-approved Comirnaty can be used to provide the authorized booster dose(s). Similarly, the FDA-authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the FDA-approved Spikevax can be used to provide the authorized booster dose(s).
At this time we have limited supply so please check with PHD or your local pharmacies!
Ivermectin not recommended for COVID-19, NO CLEAR BENEFIT
Ivermectin is good at killing intestinal parasites, like hookworms and river blindness, but it is still not clear it can treat COVID-19 despite the internet buzz. Some of the most popular studies people use to tout ivermectin benefits are deeply flawed or have been withdrawn. Better randomized trials are underway and should help to provide the answers.
One of the early signs that ivermectin could be useful against COVID-19 came from a study of monkey kidney cells at Monash University in Australia. But the dosage given was far higher than anything that could be safely given to humans. Then 2 studies from Egypt came out in the fall of 2020 that were not correctly randomized and have been since withdrawn. Another study in Argentina healthcare workers contained information that had been fabricated. In February 2021, a commonly referenced study from India showed ivermectin reduced the odds of developing coronavirus by 73%, but the study was observational and did not control for important risk factors making it difficult to know the true impact of the drug on patient outcomes. Large, well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard for all drug research, are needed to know the true role of ivermectin. None so far have been completed that stand up to scrutiny.
There are a few large, well-controlled RCTs of ivermectin going on now, which aim to better answer whether ivermectin might help with COVID-19. Early indications don’t look promising. So far in the Brazilian Together Trial, ivermectin didn’t perform better than placebo. Similar results were found in a RCT from Colombia published in Journal of the American Medical Association. Additional definitive answers may come soon from Oxford’s Principle RCT trial, the world’s largest study of at-home treatment for COVID-19.
Ivermectin has significant potential side effects including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, seizures, and coma especially if taken in high dose likely to be found in animal formulations of the drug. Recently there have been 2 patients admitted to Kootenai Health with liver failure induced by ivermectin. The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. In fact the FDA has warned that using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 can be dangerous and even lethal.
The physicians at Family Health Center do not prescribe or recommend ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 infection. Using ivermectin with the belief that it can effectively treat COVID only delays the use of medications that have shown benefit in controlled studies and are considered current standard of care. If you are experiencing a new fever, cough, or shortness of breath please contact us so that we can help you get the best care possible to keep you out of the hospital and recovering as quickly as possible.