From improving heart health to lowering a person’s diabetes risk, weight loss surgery can offer a variety of known benefits for people with obesity. And now a new study suggests another possible benefit: having weight loss surgery may help better prepare you to fight COVID-19 if you become infected with the virus. About the Research This study, published in JAMA Surgery, involved over 20,000 patients with a BMI (body mass index) of 35 or higher. About 25% of those patients had weight loss surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic started (from 2004 to 2017). The other 75% of patients used...
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Giving You the Facts
Learn About COVID-19
Here you can access ThedaCare’s most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 as well as updates from our clinical collaborator, Mayo Clinic.
How do I tell the difference between a cold, influenza and COVID-19?
At-Home Testing
Four Quick Facts About At-Home COVID-19 Testing As COVID-19 continues to spread across our community, many people are looking for a quick way to know if they have the virus. Taking an at-home antigen COVID-19 test—also known as an over-the-counter test or self-test—can help you determine if you can go to work, attend an event, or take your trip. Here are four things to keep in mind about at-home COVID-19 tests. At-home antigen COVID-19 tests are different than in-person PCR tests. “A rapid COVID-19 test detects molecules on the surface of the virus, which are called antigens. PCR tests, which...

COVID-19, Testing Q&A With Dr. Baeseman
On Friday, January 14, we hosted ThedaCare Connection: A Live COVID-19 Q&A Facebook Event. During this special online discussion, Dr. Zachary Baeseman, a physician in Family Medicine and Obstetrics, answered questions about COVID-19 testing and the current state of the virus spread in our community. We’ve pulled together a few highlights based on our conversation.
Mayo Clinic COVID-19 News Network
Track case numbers across the nation and access the latest news, information and recommendations from Mayo’s clinical experts.
View the full library of articles at newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

Additional Resources
More detailed information about COVID-19 from public health leaders is available through the following online resources.





COVID-19 Prevention Tips
Together, we can all help reduce the impact of COVID-19
The best way to minimize the risk of exposure is to practice everyday preventative behaviors — and encourage others to do the same. Effective prevention includes:
Learn proper hand-washing techniques.
COVID-19 Quick Facts
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a unique coronavirus strain that began spreading in people in December 2019.
Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus, which has proven highly contagious and responsible for causing severe illness, including pneumonia and other respiratory problems, among other symptoms.
- This disease was formerly referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.”
- The COVID-19 virus is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate
among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. - COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
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- Up-to-date COVID-19 resources and information
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