Subject: July Newsletter: Stay Healthy and Safe This Summer!

Free Take-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Available Locally

Feeling under-the-weather and concerned you may have been exposed to COVID-19? Or, preparing to travel and in need of test results? Test Iowa now offers free, self-administered, take-home COVID-19 test kits. You pick up a kit, follow the step-by-step instructions, then drop off in a UPS letterbox to send to Iowa's state hygienic laboratory for results.

Locally, test kits can be picked up in Spencer Hospital emergency department. For more info, read the full article along with FAQs on our website.

COVID-19 Test Kits

New Study Reveals COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Cause Female Sterility

Recently, two members of our Clay County Public Health team had a conversation with a team from the University of Iowa who were interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccination efforts, along with barriers. Our team mentioned that one of the concerns expressed by many young women, and even some young men, centered around rumors that vaccination may impact fertility. The U of I has shared a recent research study that dispels those concerns, that neither the vaccine nor an infection of COVID-19 affects fertility. The second image provides details of the research and results. To read the full study, please click the link below.

Female Sterility Study

Delta Variant is Rapidly Spreading in the Midwest Leading to Increased Hospitalizations

While local COVID-19 positivity rates have remained low in recent months, several other states, including Iowa's neighboring state of Missouri, are seeing another surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations among unvaccinated individuals. The main reason we are seeing a reemergence of the virus is due to the Delta coronavirus variant, which is known to be the most contagious strain of the virus currently.

Clay County Public Healthy Director, Colette Rossiter, discusses the concerns of the Delta variant as well as the importance of getting vaccinated in order to stay protected in her latest blog.

Coronavirus Delta Variant in the Midwest

Travel in a Post-COVID (almost) World

After a year of pandemic restrictions, people are ready to travel again. Depending on where a person is traveling will determine what travel restrictions a person may run into along the way. Colette Rossiter from Clay County Public Health explains some of the latest travel recommendations from the CDC in her recent blog.

Navigate Traveling during COVID

Simple and Healthy Summer Party Food Ideas

Summer is a great time to experiment with fresh fruit and vegetables. Even cooking methods are different in the summer as you don't want to heat up the house by turning on the oven. Spencer Hospital's Registered Dietitian, Darlene DeWitt, shares some of her tips on coming up with healthier alternatives for party dishes in her latest blog.

Summer Party Food Ideas

Donor Dollars at Work: New Items for CAMPS

As children grow and develop, it is important that they have the support to help them meet their developmental goals, which is exactly what CAMPS (Children Achieving Maximum Potential through Supportive Services) does! Sara Taylor, Executive Director of the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation, joins Jen Coates, Occupational Therapist from the CAMPS Room, to show us some fun new items that donor dollars helped purchase for the kiddos. If you have any questions about CAMPS, please call us at (712) 264-6189. If you are interested in donating to this program, please call Sara Taylor at (712) 264-6226 or Donate Online. Thank you to our kind and caring donors for helping make this possible!