Stay healthy this winter and schedule COVID-19 boosters for yourself and your family.

It is required that all visitors wear a mask in any KCH facility, including the main hospital, the Knox Medical Pavilion, the Wright Family Medical Pavilion, or other provider-based care areas is required.

VISITOR GUIDELINES

KCH is following the CDC guidelines regarding COVID transmission rates, and our county’s rate remains high. In addition, KCH has seen an increasing number of in-patient cases of influenza and RSV, which informed our decision to return to masking requirements for the safety of our patients, staff, and the community.

DO NOT VISIT IF: You are positive for Covid-19 and/or influenza or have any symptoms of Covid-19/influenza.

Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, muscle/body aches, and/or headache.

*Our staff may ask if you have had signs or symptoms of Covid and Influenza. In some instances, your appointment may need to be rescheduled.

Daily Visiting Hours 8 am-8 pm

After 5 pm weekdays/Saturdays/Sundays, visitors must check in at the Emergency Room Registration and/or Security Office.

Nurse Help Line: 740.393.9033

Please call 740.399.3840 to schedule your vaccination.

Effective: 11/02/2022

Please sanitize hands upon entry and keep a safe distance from others - social distancing of 6 feet.
DEPARTMENT	VISITOR RESTRICTIONS - Update 6/5/2022
Emergency Room	Adult & Pediatric Patients: 2 visitors (Certain circumstances may allow for more than 2 visitors as deemed by RN/Provider) If Covid positive: Virtual or Scheduled Visitation Only. See Exceptions
Labor and Delivery	Adult/Pediatric Inpatients: If Covid negative: No visitor restrictions If Covid positive—1 Support person only (same person)
Inpatient Units	Adult/Pediatric Inpatients: If Covid Negative: No Visitor Restrictions If Covid positive: Virtual Or Scheduled Visitation Only. See Exceptions & Contact Nursing Unit
Center for Rehabilitation and Wellness and Connections Fitness	Adult patients & Pediatric patients: No visitor Restrictions
Urgent Care Center	No visitor Restrictions
Ambulatory Surgery Center	Adult patients: 1 designated visitor / Pediatric patients: 2 parents/guardians
Department of Primary and Specialty Care	No visitor Restrictions
CATH Lab / Diagnostic Imaging	Adult patients: No visitor restrictions
Center for Cancer Care and Outpatient Infusion	Adult Patients: 2 Visitor limit please

VISITOR RESTRICTION EXCEPTIONS

After 5pm weekdays/Saturday/Sunday visitors are required to check-in at the Emergency Room Registration and/or Security Office.

End-of-Life

Visitation restrictions for covid positive patients will be at the discretion of the care team.

Caretakers

Visitors acting in the role of a caretaker will be allowed access as determined by the clinical team.

Please coordinate with the Nursing Unit.

Podcast: Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnant Women

Pregnant women around the country faced uncertainty upon the arrival of COVID-19.

The medical community identified significant knowledge gaps in the impact of the virus on mothers’ and babies’ health at all stages of pregnancy. Knowing more about the impact of the virus on pregnancy and the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women is vital for treatment and prevention. In this episode, Dr. Rachel Humphrey, director of AdventHealth for Women’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine, joins Kathy Cummings, director of communications at AHA, to talk about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for both mom and baby, the critical role physicians play in addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and how doctor-patient relationships are strengthening during this pandemic.

Advancing Health · Encouraging COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women

For information on pediatric coronavirus vaccines click here.

Average Patient Volumes

Who Can Get a Booster Shot

*Although mRNA vaccines are preferred, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations.
IF YOU RECEIVED:	WHO SHOULD GET A BOOSTER:	WHEN TO GET A BOOSTER:	WHICH BOOSTER CAN YOU GET:
Pfizer-BioNTech	Everyone 12 years and older	At least 5 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series	Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations Teens 12–17 years old may only get a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster
Moderna	Adults 18 years and older	At least 5 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series	Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen*	Adults 18 years and older	At least 2 months after receiving your J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccination	Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations

Ongoing COVID-19 Exposure FAQs

I live with someone diagnosed with COVID but cannot isolate from them, what should we do?

It is very important for people with COVID-19 to remain apart from others, even if they live together. Suppose that separation of the person with COVID-19 from others that they live with is not possible. In that case, the other people they live with will have ongoing exposure, meaning they will be repeatedly exposed until that person can no longer spread the virus to other people. In this situation, there are precautions you can take to limit the spread of COVID-19:

The person with COVID-19 and everyone they live with should wear a well-fitting mask inside the home.
If possible, one person should care for the person with COVID-19 to limit the number of people who are in close contact with the infected person.
Take steps to protect yourself and others from reducing transmission in the home:
- Quarantine if you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
- Isolate if you are sick or tested positive for COVID-19, even if you don’t have symptoms.
- Learn more about the public health recommendations for testing, mask use, and quarantine of close contacts, like yourself, who have ongoing exposure. These recommendations differ depending on your vaccination status.

What should I do if I have ongoing exposure to COVID from someone I live with?

Recommendations for this situation depend on your vaccination status:

If you are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and have ongoing exposure to COVID-19, you should:

Begin quarantine immediately and continue to quarantine throughout the isolation period of the person with COVID-19.
Continue to quarantine for an additional five days starting the day after the end of isolation for the person with COVID-19.
Get tested at least five days after the end of isolation of the infected person that lives with them.
- If you test negative, you can leave home but should continue to wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home and in public until ten days after the end of isolation for the person with COVID-19.
Isolate immediately if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive.

If you are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and have ongoing exposure to COVID-19, you should:

Get tested at least five days after your first exposure. A person with COVID-19 is considered infectious starting two days before they develop symptoms or two days before the date of their positive test if they do not have symptoms.
Get tested again at least five days after the end of isolation for the person with COVID-19.
Wear a well-fitting mask when you are around the person with COVID-19, and do this throughout their isolation period.
Wear a well-fitting mask around others for ten days after the infected person’s isolation period ends.

Isolate immediately if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive.

What should I do if multiple people I live with test positive for COVID at different times?

Recommendations for this situation depend on your vaccination status:

If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you should:
- Quarantine throughout the isolation period of any infected person that you live with.
- Continue to quarantine until five days after the end of the isolation date for the most recently infected person that lives with you. For example, if the last day of isolation of the person most recently infected with COVID-19 was June 30, the new 5-day quarantine period starts on July 1.
- Get tested for the most recently infected person who lives with you at least five days after the end of isolation.
- Wear a well-fitting mask when you are around any person with COVID-19 while that person is in isolation.
- Wear a well-fitting mask when you are around other people until ten days after your last close contact.
- Isolate immediately if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive.
If you are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, you should:
- Get tested at least five days after your first exposure. A person with COVID-19 is considered infectious starting two days before they develop symptoms or two days before the date of their positive test if they do not have symptoms.
- Get tested again at least five days after the end of isolation for the most recently infected person that lives with you.
- Wear a well-fitting mask when you are around any person with COVID-19 while that person is in isolation.
- Wear a well-fitting mask around others for ten days after the end of isolation for the most recently infected person that lives with you. For example, if the last day of isolation for the person most recently infected with COVID-19 was June 30, the new 10-day period to wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public starts on July 1.
- Isolate immediately if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive.

I had COVID and completed isolation. Do I need to quarantine or get tested again if someone I live with gets COVID shortly after I completed isoaltion?

No. Suppose you recently completed isolation, and someone that lives with you tests positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 shortly after the end of your isolation period. In that case, you do not have to quarantine or get tested as long as you do not develop new symptoms. Once all the people who live together have completed isolation or quarantine, refer to the guidance below for new exposures to COVID-19.

If you had COVID-19 in the previous 90 days and then came into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you do not have to quarantine or get tested if you do not have symptoms. But you should:
- Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public for ten days after your last close contact.
- Monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for ten days from your last close contact date.
- Isolate immediately and get tested if symptoms develop.
If more than 90 days have passed since your recovery from infection, follow CDC’s recommendations for close contact. These recommendations will differ depending on your vaccination status.

Quarantine and Isolation Calculator (CDC)

A tool to help determine how long you need to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.

If you have a fever, cough, or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. Most people experience mild symptoms and can recover at home.

If you are sick:

Keep track of your symptoms.
If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), call 911.

Get Started

What Is a Booster Shot, And How Does It Work?

Booster shots serve as a reminder to your immune system, ultimately providing reinforcements for your body to recognize and ward off COVID-19 as the initial effectiveness of each of the three approved vaccines wanes over time. It is essential to know that the efficacy of the Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccines against severe infection remain incredibly high. Receiving a booster shot will help your immune system prevent mild to moderate infection, ultimately making you and your family safer.

Which Vaccines Have Booster Approvals?

All three Food and Drug Administration-authorized COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are approved for booster shots.

Who Is Eligible for a Booster Shot?

The following groups are eligible to receive a booster shot if their primary vaccine was Pfizer or Moderna: - Individuals 65 years and older; - Individuals 18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions or live in long-term care settings; - Individuals 18 years and older who work or live in high-risk settings; or If your primary vaccine was Johnson & Johnson, then everyone 18 years of age or older is eligible to receive a booster shot.

When Can You Get Your Booster? Which Vaccines Have Booster Approvals?

All three Food and Drug Administration-authorized COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are approved for booster shots. Who Is Eligible for a Booster Shot? The following groups are eligible to receive a booster shot if their primary vaccine was Pfizer or Moderna: - Individuals 65 years and older; - Individuals 18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions or live in long-term care settings; - Individuals 18 years and older who work or live in high-risk environments; or If your primary vaccine was Johnson & Johnson, then everyone 18 years of age or older is eligible to receive a booster shot. When you can receive your booster shot depends on which COVID-19 vaccine you initially received. - Pfizer and Moderna: at least six months after an individual’s primary series of shots - Johnson & Johnson: at least two months after an individual’s initial dose.

Are the Booster Doses Different From the Initial Vaccine Series?

The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster doses are the same as the initial vaccination series.
Pfizer required a two-shot series for the initial vaccination, but the booster is only one shot.
The Johnson & Johnson initial series consisted of one shot, and the booster consists of one shot. The Moderna booster is half the dose of the original shot. Note that Moderna required a two-shot series for initial vaccination, and the booster is comprised of one half-dose shot.

_{Source: American Hospital Association}

Just the Facts

Vaccine Information from the Food & Drug Adminsitration

Johnson&Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 Vaccine

Downloads

Visitor Guidelines - 11/2/2022519.36 KB

COVID-19 Guidance on Quarantine955.01 KB

Kids and COVID-19163.82 KB

COVID-19 and the Flu119.75 KB

Self Monitor Symptoms109.39 KB