Healthcare provider and lab guidance and information on COVID-19 symptoms, testing, vaccination, data collection, and more.
General COVID-19 Guidance
Medical providers are recommended to test individuals with signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 infection, including:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
When evaluating and providing medical care for a person with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, please refer to CDC infection prevention and control recommendations.
CDC has updated its guidance for COVID-19 vaccination, including:
- All people ages 65 years and older should receive 1 additional dose of any updated (2023–2024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer-BioNTech). For detailed guidance, see Table 1 and Table 2.
- Updated information for reporting adverse events to VAERS following administration of a COVID-19 vaccine.
To view all updates, please visit CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States.
Guidance on specimen collection and testing, infection control practices, and other considerations are available at:
- CDC HAN Messages
- Frequently Asked Questions to Assist Medicare Providers (CMS)
- Translated Resources and Materials for Medicare Providers (CMS)
- Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Calls/Webinars (CDC)
CDC issued guidance to healthcare facilities:
South Dakota Specific Information
The SD DOH transitioned to a new immunization information system (IIS) vendor platform and is no longer creating user accounts in our legacy system. All users need to complete training to gain access to the new system. If your facility already uses SDIIS, please see this memo with instructions to complete training for our new system.
Need Assistance?
If you have questions or need assistance navigating the STC LMS, such as changing your job role, please contact STC staff at stc_trainingservices@stchome.com. If your facility is NOT using SDIIS, please get in touch with Brett Oakland at brett.oakland@state.sd.us to inquire about enrolling your facility in SDIIS.
- South Dakota Public Health Lab website
- SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory Requisition and PUI Evaluation Form
- SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing Surveillance Laboratory Requisition Form
- Order Medical Shipping Supplies
- SD-DOH would like to remind medical providers, hospitals, and laboratories that cases of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, are considered immediately reportable in South Dakota (under Coronavirus Respiratory syndromes).
Developing and using registries to collect, analyze, and share data about the COVID-19 virus and its impact on patients, physicians, and other caregivers will help develop the knowledge to successfully prevent and treat it. South Dakota clinicians and facilities have access to data collection tools to aid in the gathering of evidence. Learn more below:
Registry
The COVID-19 Positive Patient Registry is creating a database of all COVID-19-positive patients, regardless of their treatment. This registry collects data on onset symptoms, and pre-existing conditions but then also provides for the collection of treatments and outcomes initially and on an ongoing basis until the patient is recovered.
The SD DOH maintains a strategic stockpile of supplies readily available for emergency response. Requests received outside of a public health emergency must be evaluated by the state’s public health preparedness and response team.
COVID-19 test kits are available through the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory. If you need kits, please use the online order form.
The Department of Health maintains a variety of LISTSERVs that provide information on current guidance and scheduled calls.