2019 Novel Coronavirus

COVID-19 Resources for Michigan Hospitals, Media and the Public

Resources for all Michiganders

Everyone can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing everyday prevention measures like social distancing, frequent hand washing, staying home when sick and covering coughs and sneezes.

Symptom Monitoring

Everyone can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing everyday prevention measures like social distancing, frequent hand washing, staying home when sick and covering coughs and sneezes.

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. They include:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting

If you suspect you are sick, contact your healthcare provider by phone or email for guidance before traveling to a healthcare facility. If you do not have a healthcare provider, call your local hospital. Healthcare providers may request testing based on a patient’s signs, symptoms, travel history and risk.

The state has launched a hotline to answer health-related questions seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (888) 535-6136. Staff cannot provide individual clinical advice or a diagnosis through the hotline.

Staying Healthy

COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through close contact from person to person, including between people who are physically near each other (within about 6 feet). People who are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others.

Steps to Slow the Spread

Get a COVID-19 Vaccine
- The MHA strongly recommends all individuals receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it is available to their priority group.
- To find your local vaccination site, visit the MDHHS Vaccine webpage.
- Visit the Vaccine Updates for the latest information regarding COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan.
Wear a Mask
- Individuals 2 years and older should wear masks in public.
- Masks should be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially around people who do not live with you.
- Individuals in households with someone who is infected should take precautions including wearing masks to avoid spread to others.
- Be sure to wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol before putting on your mask.
- Wear your mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.

Physical Distancing
- Be sure to keep 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) of distance between yourself and others.
- Physical distancing is important because people who are infected but do not display symptoms are still able to spread the virus.
Avoid Crowds
- Being around large groups of people puts you at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
- Avoid indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors as much as possible.
Wash your Hands
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

How Can I Help?

Financial Donations: The American Hospital Association has launched a hospital donation tool to search for individual hospitals make a contribution. All donations go directly to help hospitals purchase PPE for health care workers and other desperately needed resources to fight COVID-19.

Volunteer: The state of Michigan is calling on healthcare professionals who can volunteer their expertise. Learn more on the state’s COVID-19 volunteer webpage.

PPE Donations: During this difficult time, Michigan hospitals appreciate any and all assistance to help protect healthcare workers and prevent the further spread of the virus. Many Michigan hospitals have set up donation sites for those who wish to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies and funds to help their local facilities.

Below are the materials most needed at this time. This list will be updated as efforts continue to progress.

Hospital Gowns.
Ventilators.
Sanitizer (Hand / Wipe).
Gloves.
Surgical Masks.
Masks: NIOSH N95 or better.
No-Touch Thermometer.

Resources for Healthcare Professionals

Recent Updates

Changes Coming to Payer Policies for COVID-19 Coverage (August 19): Health insurers in Michigan have begun announcing that in the coming months, they will no longer cover the full cost of COVID-19 treatments. The MHA will continue to urge the public to take advantage of free and low-cost preventive measures like masks and vaccines to avoid the risk of hospitalization, death and preventable healthcare costs.

COVID-19 Summer Social Media Toolkit (August 10): The MHA has created a social media toolkit that highlights messaging on the new delta variant, updated masking guidance, back-to-school/immunization awareness and general vaccine resources.

COVID-19 Policy Tracker (May 7): The MHA has compiled a complete list of epidemic orders, emergency rules, requirements and exemptions the state has issued throughout the pandemic that impact hospital and health system operations.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics Expansion (April 23): The MHA co-hosted a webinar with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to discuss the expansion monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments to COVID-19 patients. The webinar highlighted what resources, time, space and support is needed to administer mAb treatment and what the state has in place to assist. A recording of the webinar can be found on YouTube.

Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit (April 20): The MHA has created a social media toolkit designed to spread awareness around the safety and efficacy of the current COVID-19 vaccines. As new developments on the vaccine are released, the MHA will modify the toolkit to stay up to date on the facts.

COVID-19 Communications Resources for Providers (January 13): The American Hospital Association (AHA) has shared several resources to assist hospitals and health systems in targeting and encouraging vaccination among healthcare workers. The Ad Council has launched an AHA-supported COVID-19 Vaccine Education Effort, a multichannel campaign with four videos. In addition to the Ad Council-developed videos, hospitals and health systems have access to a host of downloadable materials. To reach communities digitally, the AHA launched #MyWhy, a social media campaign that amplifies healthcare workers’ voices on the importance of getting vaccinated. Using the hashtag #MyWhy and tagging @AHAhospitals, physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and others are encouraged to share videos, social posts or written testimonials when it’s their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

How mRNA Vaccines Work (January 6): MDHHS has created an infographic illustrating what mRNA vaccines are and how they are being used to combat COVID-19.

Vaccine Updates

Educate and Inoculate (Nov. 4) The Michigan Children’s Hospital Clinical Leadership Collaborative has published a letter supporting the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations in children ages 5 to 18.

Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Pause (April 13): The CDC and the FDA this morning, out of an abundance of caution, issued a statement advising providers to halt administration of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines while they investigate six instances of blood clots in previously vaccinated individuals. More than 6.8 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered to date nationally, meaning these instances are incredibly rare.

Vaccine Eligibility Expansion (April 5): As of Monday April 5, all areas of the state may, as vaccine supplies are available, implement vaccination of all people aged 16 and up who were not previously eligible.

Michigan Opening Eligibility to All Adults April 5 (March 12): In response to the President’s directive for states to open vaccine eligibility to all adults no later than May 1, Gov. Whitmer just announced that Michigan will open eligibility to adults 16-49 with certain preexisting conditions March 22, and to any adults 16 and older April 5. This is in addition to all adults 50-64 becoming eligible March 22. This news is reflected in the state’s official Prioritization Guidance document posted on their vaccine website.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Updates (March 5): The MHA is aware of ongoing misinformation regarding both the effectiveness of this vaccine and how it was developed (as it relates to use of fetal cell lines in the development of the vaccine). The fact is that Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses that are administered do not contain fetal cells. In addition, all three COVID-19 vaccines are equally effective in prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death.

We encourage members to push back on misleading information on its communication channels whenever possible, which the MHA will also continue to do. The MHA also has background information and talking points available upon request. Please contact Ruthanne Sudderth for a copy.

Race and Ethnicity Data Being Added to State Dashboard (Feb. 22): The MDHHS expects the state COVID-19 vaccine dashboard to be updated this week to include race and ethnicity data. The MDHHS has also created an option for those providers who perform direct data entry into the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. Additional information on how providers can directly input race and ethnicity data will be shared by the MDHHS later this week.

State Changes Hospitals’ Share of Vaccines Distributed (Feb. 4): MDHHS confirmed that it will continue the allocation process it implemented the week of Feb. 1, with 60% of the available vaccine going to health departments and 40% to hospitals, until further notice.

Vaccinating Vulnerable Communities (Jan. 20): The MDHHS yesterday, on their biweekly COVID-19 provider call, announced that they are working towards using the CDC Social Vulnerability Index to identify areas and individuals in Michigan that may have less access to COVID-19 vaccine, and will be encouraging vaccinating providers to use this data to find and vaccinate these individuals and communities. The MHA will also provide details on how to reach vulnerable individuals and communities as they become available.

Moving to Vaccination Priority Group 1B (Jan. 6): The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced in a press conference this afternoon that starting Monday, Jan. 11, additional Michiganders can be vaccinated against COVID-19, including residents 65 and over and police officers, first responders, frontline state and federal workers and jail and prison staff; and preK-12 teachers and childcare providers. In addition, they announced a modified 1B priority group that includes any resident 65 years and older in addition to essential workers. Previously, 1B included individuals 75 and older and essential workers.

Vaccination Priority Group Updates (Jan. 4): MDHHS has updated the language regarding priority groups receiving the vaccine. The current priority groups are as follows:

1A: Paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home, as well as residents of long-term care facilities.
1B: Frontline essential workers and individuals 75 years of age and older.
1C: Other essential workers, persons 65 to 74 years of age and individuals 16 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions.
2: All persons age 16 years or older.

First Shipments of COVID-19 Vaccine (December 20): Pfizer began shipping its COVID-19 vaccine from its global warehouse in Michigan Dec. 14 and continued to deliver it to hospitals across the country throughout the week. Healthcare providers began inoculating staff members soon after the vaccine arrived. The second vaccine was approved for emergency use the evening of Dec. 18, and initial shipments to hospitals began Dec. 20.

COVID-19 Testing Information and Resources

Medical Providers and Congregate Care Facilities: Find Michigan laboratories available to offer COVID-19 testing.

Michignan Plan to Increase Testing: Learn more about Michigan’s plan to increase testing.

Adding New Test Site: Learn how to get a COVID-19 testing site added to the test site finder tool.

Updating Information on Finder Tool: Tools for updating existing information found on the test site finder tool.

Federal resources and information:

CDC Guidance on Evaluating and Testing Persons for COVID-19
CDC Guidance on Collecting Test Specimens
FDA Frequently Asked Questions on Diagnostic Testing for COVID-19 – The Food and Drug Administration provides regular updates to the development and performance of diagnostic tests for COVID-19, including information about alternatives to nasopharyngeal swabs for sample collection.

Healthcare Personnel Safety

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use and Conservation for COVID-19 – Guidance provided by the National Ebola Training and Education Center.

Updated CDC PPE Guidance – Alternative personal protective equipment recommendations in consideration of current supply chain shortages.

Association for Professionals in Infection Control COVID-19 webpage – Guidance for healthcare providers on COVID-19. Also available are a fact sheet and educational materials on personal protective equipment, and additional information is posted on the organization’s Public Policy page.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID-19 webpage – Resources for employers and healthcare providers.

Important Information Sources

MDHHS Coronavirus Disease webpage – The latest Michigan-specific developments and guidance.

MDHHS Coronavirus Disease Fact Sheet – Important information for the community about COVID-19. Also available in Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Arabic.

American Hospital Association (AHA) COVID-19 webpage – Updates from the AHA on COVID-19.

CDC Coronavirus Disease webpage – The latest national developments and guidance from the CDC. Information for hospitals and healthcare providers is also available.

World Health Organization COVID-19 webpage – International updates on COVID-19.

New ICD-10-CM code for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus – Interim coding guidance is available for providers until a new ICD-10 diagnosis code becomes effective April 1, 2020.

Resources for the Media

The MHA and Michigan hospitals are committed to keeping the public informed during the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Resources are available below to assist reporters as they gather information for stories.

Contact MHA Members