Public reminded to seek appropriate care when needed

In the midst of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be hard to know whether you should stay at home, go to the doctor or seek emergency care when you are feeling ill. A good rule of thumb is to call HealthLine 811, your family physician or your nurse practitioner if you have minor symptoms like a fever, vomiting or diarrhea. If your symptoms worsen significantly or you are experiencing significant distress, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency department.

When to stay home
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please stay at home, call HealthLine 811 for a COVID-10 test referral or go to your local testing site and follow the instructions provided for contact tracing and isolation. COVID-19 symptoms include: fever, cough, headache, muscle and/or joint aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, dizziness, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or difficulty feeding for children, loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

When to go the doctor
Call or visit your family physician, nurse practitioner or community clinic for everyday healthcare needs. Most physician offices are seeing patients in person. It is also very important that you continue to connect with your provider about the care of any chronic diseases you may be living with.

The SHA continues to provide safe home visits from community teams and services, including Home Care. These care providers follow enhanced guidelines to ensure safe visits when caring for people in their homes.

When to seek emergency care
If you or someone in your household is experiencing significant distress such as unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, signs of a stroke, trauma or severe bleeding, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Since the pandemic was declared, we have enhanced screening of patients to ensure the right precautions are being taken, increased cleaning of our care environments and equipment, and have limited visitors and public use of Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities.

When to go to an assessment and treatment site
If you test positive for COVID-19, your healthcare provider may refer you to an assessment and treatment site for COVID-19, which are located across Saskatchewan to reduce in-person visits to emergency departments. These sites provide in-person care, assessment and treatment for individuals presenting with escalating symptoms consistent with COVID-19, those confirmed positive with COVID-19 who have other health conditions, or those in self-isolation due to travel or a public health directive.

Get vaccinated
At this time, the greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 is not determined by age but by immunization status. The data is clear that the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community from serious illness and death is to be fully immunized. Health experts agree, the best way to protect yourself from becoming extremely ill with COVID-19 is by a full course of any Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approved for anyone 12 years of age or older. Those under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated at this time. A full list of vaccine clinics in the province as well as vaccine information can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation to contain the spread of COVID-19. To prevent becoming infected:

Wear a mask.
Wash your hands.
Maintain physical distancing.
Keep your bubble small.
Stay home if sick.
Get tested.
Follow public health orders.
Anticipate situations that put you at risk and avoid them.