COVID-19 and diabetes: know what may be putting you at greater risk
Approximately 90% of Americans who die from COVID-19 have diabetes or other health conditions. Here’s what may be putting you at an increased risk of getting the virus.
USA TODAY
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Those 55 and older and with underlying diseases are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials said at a news conference on Monday.
The Nevada State Immunization Program (NSIP) identifies those specific underlying health conditions that will cause a person to be at an increased risk of serious COVID-19 disease:
- Cancer
- chronic kidney disease
- chronic lung diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Down’s syndrome
- Heart problems
- anyone immunocompromised by an organ transplant
- obesity, anyone who has a body mass index (BMI) of 30-39
- pregnancy
- sickle cell anemia
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- smoke
Healthcare providers or primary care providers can better assess whether an individual is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in this group, according to the recommendations in the NISP bulletin published on March 3.
James English, regional chief of operations for the county’s COVID-19 response, said retail pharmacy partners are currently open to vaccinate this group.
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Medical partners will have vaccinations for this group later this week or early next week, according to English.
State health officer Candice McDaniel explained that they are focusing on individuals aged 55 and over at the moment because there are not enough vaccines for each Nevadan with underlying diseases.
Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Washoe County
Washoe County residents aged 65 and over can apply to the Washoe County Health District waiting list by visiting www.Covid19WashoeVaccine.com or by calling 775-328-2427.
Additional information on school and business resources, vaccine supplier locations and vaccine plans specific to each county can be found at www.ImmunizeNevada.org. The site now serves Nevadans in Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Filipino languages.
A vaccine call center is also available to answer any questions or assist in scheduling appointments. The call center is open from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week, and can be reached by calling 1-800-401-0946. The call center can serve residents in Spanish.
The latest COVID-19 statistics in Washoe County
As of Sunday morning, Washoe County had recorded a total of 43,470 COVID-19 cases and 655 deaths.
Washoe County also administered a total of 156,078 COVID-19 vaccines, according to data from Nevada Health Response.
There were a total of 299,287 COVID-19 cases and 5,121 deaths as of Sunday.
Approximately 11% of all Nevadans have been fully vaccinated.
This story has been changed to clarify who can apply to the health district’s waiting list at this time.
Kristin Oh is a public safety reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal. She can be reached at [email protected] or at 775-420-1285. Please help support your work by subscribing.