Report a Positive Home Test
If you have taken an at home test and it was positive, please complete a Positive Home Test Report. There is no need to call if you complete this form unless you have specific questions that you need answered. If you have questions about reporting or need to speak to someone please call (573)335-7846 and ask for a contact tracer.
| Positive Home Test Report |
Vaccines
The best way to keep you and your community safe is to get vaccinated. The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center is now vaccinating ages 6 months and up.
We realize recommendations change. Illustrated here are guidelines per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) but we recommend personal due diligence to ensure you have the most up to date information.
The FDA requires that vaccine recipients or their caregivers are provided with vaccine-specific information to help make an informed decision about vaccination. This information is in fact sheets available via the CDC's COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Fact Sheets for Recipients and Caregivers.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Schedule below shows the recommended total doses for the following:
- General Public (GP) - applies to most people. If you are not immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system), you have a low or moderate risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death.
- Immunocompromised Public (IP): applies to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system). If you are immunocompromised, you have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death.
Age: 6 months - 7 years
Vaccine |
Age Group |
Total Doses: GP
|
Total Doses: IP
|
| Moderna | 6 mths - 5 yrs | 2 | 3 |
| Moderna | 6 - 11 yrs | 3 | 4 |
| Moderna | 12 - 17 yrs | 3 | 4 |
| Pfizer | 6 mths - 4 yrs | 3 | 3 |
| Pfizer | 5 -11 yrs | 3 | 4 |
| Pfizer | 12 - 17 yrs | 3 | 4 |
| Novavax | 12 - 17 yrs | 3 | 3 |
| Full COVID-19 Immunization Schedule |
Age: 18 years+
Vaccine |
Age Group |
Total Doses: GP
|
Total Doses: IP
|
| Moderna | 18 yrs+ | 3 | 4 |
| Pfizer | 18 yrs+ | 3 | 4 |
| Novavax | 18 yrs+ | 3 | 3 |
| Janssen | 18 yrs+ | *limited use only | *limited use only |
| Full COVID-19 Immunization Schedule |
The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center offers the following vaccine options (by appointment):
- Ages 6 months-5: Moderna – administered Thursdays 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm by appointment
- Ages 5-11: Pfizer, Moderna – administered Thursdays 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm by appointment
- Ages 12-17: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax – administered daily 8:30 am - 4:00 pm by appointment
- Ages 18+: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, or Janssen (limited use only) – administered daily 8:30 am - 4:00 pm by appointment
Bivalent boosters have arrived! The bivalent formula boosts immunity against both the original coronavirus strain and the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases.
To schedule your vaccine, please contact us. If your child ages 5-11 is a Rural Health Clinic patient, please call 573-335-2229 for an appointment.
| (573) 335-7846 |
Tests
The most effective strategies to protect ourselves against COVID continue to include getting vaccinated and staying up-to-date with boosters, testing if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19, isolating if you test positive, and wearing a mask if you are in an area with a high COVID-19 Community Level.
Anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. Make sure you test at the right time by following this guidance:
- If you have symptoms, test immediately.
- If you were exposed to COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, wait at least 5 full days after your exposure before testing for a more accurate result.
- If you are in certain high-risk settings, you may need to test as part of a screening recommended by the host or venue.
- Consider testing before contact with someone at high risk for severe COVID-19, especially if you are in an area with a medium or high COVID-19 Community Level.
For information on available test options, click the button below.
| Testing Information |
Quarantine & Isolation
The CDC updated recommendations for quarantine (staying away from others when you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 – also known as "exposure") and isolation (staying away from others when you test positive for COVID-19). The recommendations for quarantine and isolation no longer differ by vaccination status.
If you are exposed to COVID-19:
- The CDC no longer recommends quarantine if you are exposed.
- Wear a high-quality mask for 10 full days. As soon as you find out you were exposed, start counting as Day 1 (the first full day of your last exposure). You can develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed.
- Get tested on Day 6. Even if you don't develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure.
- If you test negative: continue taking precautions through Day 10.
- If you test positive: isolate immediately.
For the latest guidance or to learn more, please check the CDC's If You Were Exposed information.
If you test positive for COVID-19:
- The CDC recommends isolation for at least 5 days.
- Wear a high-quality mask for 10 full days. Without symptoms, start counting the day following your test as Day 1 (the first full day from the day you tested). With symptoms, start counting the day your symptoms started as Day 1.
- Isolate from others regardless of vaccination status for at least 5 days. You are likely most infectious during the first 5 days.
- Isolate from others if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
- Without symptoms, you may end isolation after Day 5.
- With symptoms, you may end isolation after Day 5 if (1) you are fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication, and (2) your symptoms improve
- Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.
- Notify people you have been in close contact with, which the CDC defines as someone who was less than six feet from you for at least 15 minutes.
For the latest guidance or to learn more, please check the CDC's Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19.
For an easy tool to determine if you need to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others, click the button below. This can help to protect your loved ones and community.
| Quarantine & Isolation Calculator |
Information
The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center aims to prevent illness, prolong life, and improve and protect the health of the people in our community. One way to do this is to help you stay informed on the state of COVID-19 in our county.
On Friday, April 1, 2022, Missouri transitioned to a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic response—managing it as an endemic. To reflect this change, the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (MODHSS) will update a new Missouri Weekly COVID-19 Activity Report each Tuesday. It highlights specific data that helps measure the impact and severity of COVID-19.
To keep our community informed, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center will update the table below weekly (Source: MODHSS).
Cape Girardeau County(Last Updated: 3/21/23) |
COVID-19 Community Level: LOW |
Case Rate |
| 7-Day Date Range: | 3/11/23 - 3/17/23 |
|
Total Cases in Last 7 Days: |
29 |
|
Total Cases per 100k in Last 7 Days: |
36.5 |
| Missouri Weekly COVID-19 Activity Report |
Protecting Self & Others
The CDC provides valuable ways to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 (and variants).
- Masking is a critical public health tool and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask.
- Wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.
- Wearing a well-fitted mask along with vaccination, self-testing, and physical distancing, helps protect you and others by reducing the chance of spreading COVID-19.
| Protect Yourself |
The CDC uses layered prevention strategies to help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. Know your COVID-19 Community Level for the latest guidance.
| COVID-19 Community Level |
Cape Girardeau County's community level is currently low.
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including recommended booster doses.
- Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- If you are immunocompromised or high risk, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions.
- People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public.
| CDC Mask Guidance |
