The pandemic has affected many people’s usual routines. And some have found they’ve packed on quarantine weight because of it. Staff at Avera McKennan Fitness Center are helping folks get back on track.
That 20 to 24 age group is one of the highest rates and probably the highest rate per thousand of cases and then the 25 to 30 and 15 to 20, being those next highest rates, and so it really does seem like it’s spreading in a reservoir of infection in those younger age groups which is concerning because it’s also the lowest percentage of those that are immunized.
More healthcare workers are always needed. So Avera Health is giving Sioux Falls high schoolers an opportunity to explore a possible career working in a hospital. The program is called the Avera Academy.
I would urge them to, consider you know why it is that they don't want to get vaccinated and if they would consider moving forward with it as they have proven to be safe.
Own was in ICU for five days, diagnosed with MIS-C or Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, a response to COVID-19. Even after improving, there was still something puzzling. He was extremely irritable and lethargic...not the Owen his family knew.
We work with our Avera cancer patients not only here in Sioux Falls at the Prairie Center, but as well as their cancer patients in Pierre, Aberdeen Mitchell, Yankton, and Marshall, Minnesota,
“Because we’re the group of people that want to keep going out and doing stuff, so we need to be the group of people that are protected and not going to spread it and it just helps contribute to herd immunity, which is going to help get all of us out of this pandemic,” said Jones.
On petri dishes, it shows some antiviral effects as well including against COVID but it’s at 100 times the concentration that we use routinely in humans.
“They put in so many hours of contact tracing and bus seating charts and protocols, it’s they have seriously gone above and beyond to do this for these athletes,” said Martin.
New medical research is showing 11 percent of women who receive a covid vaccine, have an immune response in their lymph nodes, enlarging them. Avera Breast Surgeon Doctor Michelle Bryan says those are the same lymph nodes that drain the breast.
“We didn’t know at first that you could look fine, and still have COVID to pass it on. It’s COVID fault, means the virus’s fault. So, no virus nobody gets sick,” said Ling.
“I was really impressed this last time with the, you know, state-of-the-art things that they’re getting into the hospital, they’re especially in a smaller town like Mitchell,” said Flood.
About one in 25 people in the United States will develop colon cancer. It’s the number three cause of cancer in men and women, and the number two cause of cancer death.
It’s actually adding additional tax subsidies for a larger percentage of the population, because of the reduced thresholds to get those premium assistance dollars. So, overall, what we’re seeing is it really is going to make healthcare coverage, extremely affordable to a majority of South Dakotans.
“You can decide to lay here, and end up in a nursing home or you can get your butt out of bed. I’ve never worked so hard in my life on anything. It’s my job now,” said Auch.
“I had hallucinations,” said Auch. “They had my wrists tied down, so I couldn’t pull my tube out. I was fighting to get out of the torture that was going through. They’re calling it PTSD.”
“Some are in wheelchairs and some are using walkers and some are using canes, but they’re traveling they’re doing all those things that I didn’t want to lose, and being around those people inspired me to be the best person I can be with Ms,” said Snyders.
“When you’re having more bad days and good days, you’re having trouble putting on your pants, putting on your socks and shoes, going up and down steps, doing your simple activities of daily living, and you’re tired of suffering, that’s the time to come in,” said Dr. Hagy.
Practically what that means is as the percent immunized is going up, we’ll start opening things up more and more. And if the numbers start to rise we’ll know that we have to wait a little bit until we get some more people immunized before we can open up to that degree. And so it’s going to be a little bit of trial and error as we go through this spring into summer.
“I really believe that there are people walking the streets of Gettysburg today who are alive, because of that expertise provided from that eCARE source,” said Fr. Kopel. “To have that available to us is a great blessing. To have that available to us is a great blessing from the perspective of not only patient but as a pastor, it’s a really wonderful tool.”
“It serves not only this county but the adjacent counties. The trade area is probably 40 to 45 miles. This a 50-year pay-it-forward project. It will definitely save lives in the future,” said Smith.
Know what your baseline is. Know what’s consistent for you. Know what your typical numbers are. Know what your normals are and if something’s abnormal, particularly if you’re not feeling normal, that’s when you should see your doctor.
“I ended up in the hospital and then he came in and admitted himself. And the doctor come back in and he said he definitely has COVID-19. He said, we’re going to keep him overnight so you will keep you both,” said Netta.
“And target more than one thing with one treatment. And that’s often why we take a pretty complete history with the patient so that we can kind of tailor their treatments specific to their needs,” said Dr. Flickema.
I think the biggest problem is right away, everyone’s really motivated, maybe a little bit too motivated to cut out too much. So we want to pull back on foods that are not necessary, but not so much that you’re in a starvation level. That’s unsustainable. And that actually detracts from your health, in the long term.
“I looked up and everybody had tears in their eyes and I said what’s... why is everybody so sad, you know I made it okay. And they said, well we just shocked you back to life,” said Thompson.
“And with COVID once again, the studies have not been done to see how well it prevented you from ever getting COVID. It just looked at whether or not patients became symptomatic and then if they develop symptoms and they were tested for COVID,”
The Arts and Healing program at Avera is a welcome distraction from the IV drip. Darwin Wolf is one of the artists involved with the program. Today he’s showing Ashley and her husband Zach something new. He hands them modeling clay and shows them how to make petals that come together to make a rosebud.
“It’s designed for anyone who would like to become more active. It helps teach them stretching, strengthening, aerobic, and balance activities and then incorporates them into one’s daily life,” said Hildebrandt.
“But I believe immunizations are very important, and getting our at-risk people right now immunized and helping them. And in the long run, helping to control the pandemic by getting people immunized and developing some herd immunity,” said Heiling.
The biggest thing that we’re watching right now is the variants and the surges. I feel like we’re in a little bit of a race night now to get as many people vaccinated before numbers start to rise back up again as far as when that surge starts kind of coming back around our direction.
Oxygen levels are especially important during pregnancy. With a growing baby, it can already be hard to breathe. A complication of coronavirus could make it worse.
“So it doesn’t mean that the people who did not get any symptoms, did not get the immune response. We all react differently to these vaccines,” said Dr. Nazir.
And then we are very excited to be offering it to our 1D group, which is our patients that are the highest risk, which would be those that are 80 years and older...those with high-risk conditions such as cancer, kidney dialysis, also transplant patients.
After hearing about the new 1D tier opening up for South Dakotans to receive the vaccine, their phone rang. Their vaccination appointment was scheduled, and when they arrived, they didn’t even have to wait.
Extensive tests for heart and vascular health can often cost thousands of dollars. At North Central Heart Institute at Avera Heart Hospital, the screening is only $75.00.
That’s probably gonna be 50,000 individuals in that group, and so right now the state gets about 11,000 doses a week and so it’ll take quite a few weeks to get through that big of a group.
