At MotivHealth, we believe it is important to follow information and guidelines set by health organizations such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In any circumstance, especially in the case of an outbreak, we provide our members with helpful, accurate information set by these health organizations.

By being an insured member of MotivHealth, you have access to excellent coverage as well as a 24/7 support team with information regarding benefits and guidance for any medical event, including the COVID-19 outbreak.

In an event such as the COVID-19 outbreak, please utilize our 24/7 support, telemedicine resources and onsite care facilities.

If you have questions regarding testing, see “How do I go about testing for COVID-19” below.

More questions? Call us. 844-234-4472

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can be spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel Coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel Coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Learn more.

COVID-19 is now spreading from person to person, especially those in close contact (within 6 or so feet). The virus is spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Learn more.

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, and overall breathing difficulties.  Learn more.

It’s important to note that some infected patients do not experience any symptoms but are still contagious.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. You should also avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. Please see more recommendations on how to protect yourself below or Learn more.

If you are sick or believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, please follow the guidelines and recommendations outlined by the CDC.

If you have questions regarding your MotivHealth benefits as they pertain to COVID-19, please call us. 844-234-4472

Testing for COVID-19 is considered preventive care and is covered at 100%. To obtain in-person tests, please contact your state health department regarding questions on availability and locations.

Free at-home tests are now currently available and can be ordered directly from the Federal Government. At-Home tests are covered at 100% and may be obtained here. These free tests will be shipped directly to a Member’s home in addition to options available via MotivHealth. You can learn more here. 

Have questions? Call us. 844-234-4472

Contact your local health department or school district to schedule your vaccination.

If you are a MotivHealth member who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and have questions about your vaccination benefits, please call the Pharmacy Team at 385-247-1030

COVID-19 vaccinations are now available for individuals with medical conditions or disabilities that make leaving home to be vaccinated an impossible challenge. To fill out a form to receive the vaccination at home, click here.

01/19/22 – U.S. Residents Can Order At-Home COVID-19 Tests Through the Federal Government

The news: Families can order up to four free at-home COVID-19 tests per household if ordered through the Federal Government.

What at-home tests do: The at-home COVID-19 tests can “look for antigens, or proteins, of the coronavirus and return results very quickly, typically within an hour and some within minutes,” according to ABC News.

• “These are different from lab tests, known as PCR tests. They look for viral genetic material but can take up to three days to return results,” ABC News reports,

How to order: You can visit COVIDTests.gov for the four free tests.

• The Biden administration said it will add a new phone number for people without the internet to order the tests.

The tests will ship within seven to twelve days from the day you order.

Other Options for COVID tests.

Members can also get COVID tests through MotivHealth at Designated pharmacies. See https://www.motivhealth.com/announcements/at-home-covid-19-tests/

Read more

What We Know

CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron. As of December 20, 2021, Omicron has been detected in most states and territories and is rapidly increasing the proportion of COVID-19 cases it is causing.

CDC has been collaborating with global public health and industry partners to learn about Omicron, as we continue to monitor its course. We don’t yet know how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, or how well available vaccines and medications work against it.

Spread

The Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

Severe Illness

More data are needed to know if Omicron infections, and especially reinfections and breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than infection with other variants.

Vaccines

Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur. With other variants, like Delta, vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. The recent emergence of Omicron further emphasizes the importance of vaccination and boosters.

Treatments

Scientists are working to determine how well existing treatments for COVID-19 work. Based on the changed genetic make-up of Omicron, some treatments are likely to remain effective while others may be less effective.

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Utahns who have COVID-19 symptoms should forget about getting tested and just stay home, Gov. Spencer Cox and other state leaders urged Friday in what was described as a pivot in the state’s pandemic strategy to deal with a crushing surge in cases as the incredibly fast-spreading omicron variant rips through the state.

“We need now more than ever to come together,” Cox said during a news conference at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City, promising that an end to the pandemic and a return to normal for Utahns may just be weeks away based on cases starting to decline elsewhere.

Read more

Salt Lake County has imposed a mask mandate after Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall urged county leaders Friday to put the “lifesaving” requirement in place to combat the dramatic spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant that’s resulted in record case counts in Utah.

A 30-day public health order issued Friday by Dr. Angela Dunn, head of the Salt Lake County Health Department, requires everyone over 2 years old in the county, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, to wear “well-fitting masks” indoors or if standing in line in public.

Read more

What We Know

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

Viruses constantly change and become more diverse. Scientists monitor these changes, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. By carefully studying viruses, scientists can learn how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and how sick people will get from it.

If you think about a virus like a tree growing and branching out; each branch on the tree is slightly different than the others. By comparing the branches, scientists can label them according to the differences. These small differences, or variants, have been studied and identified since the beginning of the pandemic.

Some variations allow the virus to spread more easily or make it resistant to treatments or vaccines. Those variants must be monitored more carefully.

B.1.617.2 (Delta): This variant was first detected in the United States in March 2021.  It was initially identified in India in December 2020.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on healthcare resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.

So far, studies suggest that the current authorized vaccines work on the circulating variants. Scientists will continue to study these and other variants.

Read more

COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to everyone 16 years and older in Utah. While information about the vaccines has been spreading rapidly, not all of the information is correct. Here are seven facts you should know about the vaccines:

1. COVID-19 vaccines don’t give you COVID-19

2. Although they were developed quickly,
the COVID-19 vaccines are safe

3. The COVID-19 vaccines may protect you against more than one strain of the virus

4. COVID-19 vaccines don’t change your DNA

5. COVID-19 vaccines have not been linked to infertility or miscarriage

6. COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain microchips or tracking devices

7. If you have a chronic disease or condition, you should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

8. COVID-19 vaccines are now available to individuals with medical conditions or disabilities that make leaving home to be vaccinated an impossible challenge. Click here to fill out an at-home vaccination form.

Learn more here.

How Utah gets vaccines

“The state orders vaccine doses through the CDC each week against an allotment that is determined by our state’s percentage of the adult U.S. population.

The federal government has a separate contract with CVS and Walgreen’s to administer vaccines in long-term care facilities.”

Where vaccines are going

“Our highest priority has always been to save lives, so vaccines are going to those at highest risk first. That includes hospital and healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, people in long-term care facilities and people over the age of 70.

Local health departments are using their doses much faster than some of our other partners. Local health departments have had practice with mass vaccinations and are consistently administering all of their doses within 7 days of receiving them.”

Read more here.

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is offering free rapid antigen testing at many locations throughout the state of Utah. Sites are chosen based on high positivity rates, fewer tests conducted, untreated wastewater sampling, and other surveillance data. Some locations will be drive-through while others will be conducted in buildings. We encourage everyone to continue to wear masks and social distance while waiting in lines.

Read more here.

It is common to have mild or moderate symptoms or side effects after they get a vaccination. Symptoms you may have after getting the COVID-19 vaccine include:

Read more here.

“The Utah Department of Health organized a workgroup made up of health professionals throughout the state (called the Utah Prioritization Workgroup) to develop recommendations for how to prioritize vaccination groups on the state and local level. Their final recommendations, called Utah’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, are based on current information about COVID-19 vaccines, state and local data, vaccine storage capability of facilities, and guidance from the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The Strategic Vaccination Coalition is also providing feedback to the Utah Department of Health on how to prioritize limited supplies of the vaccine.”

Read more here.

“Following weeks of continued stress on Utah’s hospital networks due to a rise in cases of COVID-19, Gov. Gary R. Herbert has declared a new State of Emergency to address hospital overcrowding.”

Read more here.