"Connecting Communities for COVID19 News" 9th Apr 2020
Isolation Tips
Three Tips To Stay Busy During Self-Isolation
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, millions of people are self-isolating around the globe. The voluntary decision to cut themselves from the outside world and stay safe at home hasn’t been easy to take as it has forced us to restructure our lives in a manner that we never imagined.
Coronavirus: how to manage stress eating during self-isolation
Struggling to manage unhealthy food compulsions and maintain healthy eating habits during self-isolation? Read on for our expert tips.
Self-isolation measures could cause a back pain epidemic
Harley Street Osteopath, Oliver Eaton, warns of the increased risk of injuring your back during self-isolation
COVID-19: Tips For Keeping Your Child Mentally Healthy During Self-isolation
Children and young adults account for 42 percent of the worlds population; this age group is very susceptible to entering into an emotional crisis while the world is busy containing the pandemic. Children perceive changes in their surroundings as early as they come into this world. It is almost impossible to keep them in the dark about the pandemic, and also inadvisable. On world Health day, it's important to focus on our littlest and youngest members of society.
Coronavirus in Norfolk UK: boss of Age UK charity calls for ore to adopt a grandparent | Latest Norfolk and Suffolk Business News
A boss of Norfolk’s Age UK charity needs volunteers to “adopt a grandparent” to help people who fear being cut off more than catching coronavirus. people were terrified of isolation while the country is on lockdown. He is asking for more volunteers to take part in its telephone befriending scheme whereby you ring a pensioner and simply have a chat.
Hygiene Helpers
Using face masks in the community - Reducing COVID-19 transmission from potentially asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people through the use of face masks
This document provides the ECDC opinion on the suitability of face masks and other face covers in the community by individuals who are not ill in order to reduce potential pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 from the mask wearer to others.
To Curb the Coronavirus, Hong Kong Tells the World Masks Work
Hong Kong embraces widespread use of face coverings alongside other measures to slow spread of disease
I can't feel my face: How I'm trying to deal with coronavirus hygiene and anxiety
Avoiding face touching isn’t the only behavior we should adopt to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. And we shouldn’t just focus on this during times of pandemic. These are behaviors we can adopt permanently to help reduce disease transmission overall. If we all work to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus now by adopting these transmission-reducing behaviors, our society can return to “normal” sooner. And if we adopt these behaviors permanently, we stand a greater chance of containing the next pandemic.
Chef reveals top tips for keeping your kitchen clean and free from coronavirus
A chef has shared her top tips for keeping your kitchen clean and COVID-19 free
Lee Holmes, from Sydney, said you need to wash knives between chopping veg
You also need to clean forensically, including door knobs and light switches
She recommends you set your dishwasher to at least 60 degrees to kill virus
You should also be washing any fruit and veg you buy with warm water and soap
Why you SHOULDN'T wear gloves or wipe down trolleys at the supermarket during coronavirus
A researcher who advises the World Health Organisation on outbreaks of infectious diseases has cautioned Australians against wearing gloves in the supermarket, because they create a 'false sense of security' that could increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. Mary-Louise McLaws, an infection control expert and professor of epidemiology at the University of New South Wales, said gloves carry germs more effectively than skin and cause people to become more relaxed about washing their hands. Professor McLaws told Daily Mail Australia that hands, wrists and fingernails should still be washed for 20 seconds before wearing gloves and after taking them off, so it's 'best not to rely on them for protection at all'.
How Nike are supporting the coronavirus fight
Running shoe giant, Nike, has joined the fight against coronavirus, by creating Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) at their shoe factories. Working closely with health professionals at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Nike’s innovation, manufacturing and product teams are now creating full face shields and powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses to protect health professionals from coronavirus.
Community Activities
To Fight Coronavirus, U.K. Asked for Some Volunteers. It Got an Army.
More than 750,000 people are pitching in to help older and more vulnerable Britons, helping dispel the discord of the Brexit era.
How to help the elderly and vulnerable in your community during the coronavirus outbreak
Make sure those around you – neighbours or elderly family members – have everything they need while they are unable to leave the house. “Picking up some shopping, prescriptions or running errands could be a major help,” she says. This will also ensure they are less likely to take risks and leave the house themselves.
A spokesperson from the Campaign to End Loneliness, adds: “You could use an app like Nextdoor to see if your neighbours need assistance. If you’re worried about transmitting the virus, you can leave bags on the doorstep.”
Islamic Relief pledges $10 million to global fight against coronavirus - World
Thousands of hygiene kits containing essentials like hand sanitiser, surgical masks and thermometers have already been delivered to high-risk communities in places like Syria and Afghanistan where vital health infrastructure has crumbled due to conflict. In the coming week, more critical assistance such as ventilators, lab kits and portable x-ray machines will also be delivered to countries like Pakistan where many lack access to decent medical care. For those who have lost their jobs and sources of income in low and middle-income countries with no social safety nets, cash support will likewise be provided to allow them to purchase basics like food and medicine.
A big way to say thank you to the NHS in Bedminster
Thirty-year-old Seb was inspired to paint the side of the house on his daily exercise around Bedminster when he kept seeing little posters and signs in people’s windows with messages of support to the NHS, key workers, and local community.
“It made me realise I had this huge blank canvas which was the side of my house! So after some deliberation whether or not to ‘deface’ my own property, I decided to follow my gut and go for it!” It took the freelance sports journalist three hours of measuring and then five hours of painting.
Coronavirus: Bridgnorth nursery open for children of key workers
Little Greenhouse Nursery in Low Town is opening three days a week to help those on the frontline battling the spread of coronavirus.
While the company's other settings in Claverley and Bobbington have closed, the nursery in Mill Street continues to care for a handful of youngsters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and has changed its operation to ensure the health and safety of staff and children.
Coronavirus: How to help and get help
The coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming, and one of the most excruciating parts for many people is the feeling of utter helplessness in the face of widespread suffering and hardship. Though staying inside and staying healthy are the most crucial ways to stave off this outbreak, CNN’s Impact Your World has compiled a list of donation opportunities and tips to help those affected by the crisis.
Working Remotely
Coronavirus became the catalyst for remote working. Here's what to do now
Employers can encourage certain behaviors, switch to specific apps and services, and help employees stay productive during these dark times. These tips are divided into three sections related to health and safety, tools and services, and staying productive. They apply to most business functions, although they are geared for the typical home office worker.
Disabled Students Already Faced Learning Barriers. Then Coronavirus Forced an Abrupt Shift to Online Classes.
Organization is key in classroom teaching, and for students with learning disabilities or brain injuries, that significance is amplified in a virtual setting. According to the National Center for College Students With Disabilities, about one-fifth of undergraduates and 12 percent of graduate students have some kind of disability. For many of those students, the nationwide shift to online learning brings additional accessibility problems.
NHS England to ensure all GPs can work from home if isolating
NHS England has committed to providing GPs with IT solutions to enable them to work remotely during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. NHS England said it was making ‘a commitment’ to support every practice ‘where possible’ with the ‘solutions’ they need for any of their staff to work remotely, including providing them with laptops. However, GP leaders said that provision was 'not consistent enough' and that practice teams need access to testing so that they can return to the frontline.
What lies ahead after the coronavirus? A view from Japan
In a survey of more than 10,000 Japanese business, more than 63% projected that COVID-19 would have a "negative impact on their business performance"; But going online and remote working is creating opportunities for some business and forcing reflection on Japan's long-hours working culture; More time spent at home is also prompting families to reconsider traditional domestic roles.
All the comforts of the office, at home: Remote workers snapping up desks, webcams and lamps
Workers nationwide are snapping up electronics, furniture and lighting to transform their spare rooms and kitchen tables into centers of productivity while they wait for the all-clear message on the coronavirus, the global pandemic that sent most of the country into lockdown in March.
'How Do I Set Boundaries With My Boss During a Pandemic?'
I want to start by saying that I know I'm in a very privileged position right now: I have a stable job, which I've been doing remotely from the comfort of my apartment for the past month. The issue I'm having is with setting boundaries.
Virtual Classrooms
Des Moines Public Schools will finish the academic year with online classes
After closing its facilities on March 13, the district has decided not to return to in-person classes. Superintendent Thomas Ahart said in a statement that he does not believe returning shortly after the coronavirus' projected peak in mid-April is "in the best interest of the health of our students, staff and community." Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on April 2 ordered that the state's schools closed through the end of the month. Districts have until Friday to inform the Iowa Department of Education of continuous learning measures they are putting in place, which can include online lessons, paper packets delivered to students, or a mixture of voluntary and required programs.
Coronavirus: top tips on how to learn a language in lockdown
Even with planes grounded, borders closing and a deadly virus stalking the planet you can take an exciting journey that will take you right under the skin of other nations and cultures. And from the comfort of your own home. How? By learning another language.
A proposal for what post-coronavirus schools should do (instead of what they used to do)
What will schooling look like when the buildings finally reopen (whenever that may be) and authorities have determined it is safe for children and adults to resume their lives beyond their own homes? Will things simply pick up, relatively unchanged, from where they left off before the crisis, or will there be big changes in the way Americans view and do school?
‘How do you create a version of school that truly is for everybody but is also virtual?’
Some students are better equipped than others to assimilate to remote learning plans during the coronavirus pandemic. In a perfect world, all kids have school-issued laptops, strong internet access, and someone they listen to around — to make sure they stay on top of lessons. But online school during COVID-19 is far from perfect. Keystone Crossroads’ Avi Wolfman-Arent covers education and joins us to talk about this.
Teachers Face Challenges Too With Virtual Classrooms In Coronavirus Crisis
“It’s been interesting to see how we can use the activities we do in the classroom and trying to switch over to the home.” Students are facing their own challenges. Oriana Dunker is a seventh-graders at Boston Latin School. She too is still adjusting to this new distance learning experience. “The biggest challenge for me is probably time management,” Dunker said. “Now when we go on video calls with the teachers, they’re all spread out and at different times every week.”
Amid coronavirus, students flock to Kahoot! and Duolingo. Is it the end of language teachers?
Kaylyn Wilson doesn't yet need to study a language for credit. But during the school shutdowns to contain the coronavirus, her father saw Rosetta Stone advertise free accounts for students – an offer other language-learning software companies have made as well. Wilson decided to give it a go. “I really like learning French, and it doesn’t feel like a chore to me,” she said.
Disabled Students Already Faced Learning Barriers. Then Coronavirus Forced an Abrupt Shift to Online Classes.
Organization is key in classroom teaching, and for students with learning disabilities or brain injuries, that significance is amplified in a virtual setting. According to the National Center for College Students With Disabilities, about one-fifth of undergraduates and 12 percent of graduate students have some kind of disability. For many of those students, the nationwide shift to online learning brings additional accessibility problems.
Easter 2020 activities for your kids during coronavirus isolation
One Facebook page and website, Socially, has got creative launching Australia's Biggest Virtual Easter Celebration from Good Friday. Socially, established just two and a half weeks ago in response to COVID-19, aims to prevent the effects of social isolation and remote work by running and promoting virtual events. The site is staging two children's events during the Easter weekend - Most Popular Easter Craft and Most Popular Best Dressed Pet. Children are asked to post pictures of their handiwork and much-loved pet.
Not just another WFH guide: tips for homeschoolers, couples and solo isolators
Many 'working from home' guides have failed to take into account the nuanced home life situations faced by workers around the globe, so The Drum has asked individuals from across ad land their top tips for remote working: no matter the setup.
Public Policies
Coronavirus pandemic brings home need for proactive vaccine strategies
The pandemic has made it clear, to governments and big pharma alike, that dedicating significant resources to proactive vaccination strategies are key to save lives.
Coronavirus is coming for the world's poor. Here are six ways to help
In the world's least developed countries (LDCs), 900 million people are at risk from coronavirus; These countries lack the economic resources and medical infrastructure of their more developed counterparts but can learn lessons from their response and benefit from their support; The global community must help LDCs expand PPE and technology for frontline workers, ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential medicines and equitable access to vaccines and medication.
Union calls for cash payment ban on UK buses over coronavirus
Cash payments on all UK buses should be abolished for the duration of the coronavirus crisis to reduce the risk of driver infection, the union representing bus workers has demanded. Unite called on Wednesday for an end to cash payments on all the bus systems still operating across the UK to help drive down infection rates, particularly as the country enters the predicted peak period of the outbreak over Easter and beyond.
Coronavirus: contaminated money fears push Australia to card payments and cashless shopping
The coronavirus is accelerating the shift to cashless shopping in Australia as fears that coins and notes might spread infectious diseases are encouraging greater use of digital payments. Data released Thursday shows that in March – considered the first Covid-19 month – use of one method of digital payments alone was two million transactions greater than the total for the peak shopping month in December. A record $1bn in digital wallet transactions were recorded in March, according to Mastercard and Visa records tallied by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Medical students are graduating early to take on coronavirus – are they ready?
This year’s medical students have graduated early. As of today, they’re on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19.
Maintaining Services
From cushions to masks: Boat manufacturer shifts production to meet hospitals’ coronavirus needs
A big part of fighting the coronavirus is making sure people on the front lines have the supplies they need during the pandemic. Aida Claudio is one of several employees at the Nautique boat factory in East Orange County, where they have shifted their work from upholstery for boats to sewing masks that can be used by hospital workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Coronavirus in Norfolk UK: How supermarkets are coping three weeks in | Health
Major chains have reacted to social distancing measures by controlling the amount of customers in stores, reducing opening hours, bringing in specific shopping times for NHS staff and carers, imposing queuing systems with appropriate two-metre markers and ramping up hygiene measures, such as disinfecting trolley handles.
Customers have been encouraged to shop as infrequently as possible and limits have been put in place to combat hoarding of certain items, leaving households needing to plan their shopping more carefully to ensure they have enough food.
Coronavirus - a stimulus to healthcare innovation
If there is a silver lining to this grim Covid-19 pandemic it is that our health system has responded magnificently to the challenge and, in so doing, has had to adopt new ways of working, many of which have been long advocated and which we should now embed.
Coronavirus: NHS turns to big tech to tackle Covid-19 hot spots
The NHS has confirmed it is teaming up with leading tech firms to ensure critical medical equipment is available to the facilities most in need during the coronavirus outbreak. It blogged the firms would create computer dashboard screens to show the spread of the virus and the healthcare system's ability to deal with it. Four tech firms were named in the blog. Three are US-based: Microsoft, Google and Palantir. The fourth is Faculty AI, which is headquartered in London.
Healthcare Innovations
Coronavirus: Vaccine hopes boosted as scientists find virus has 'low shielding'
The model displays the coronavirus as having several spikes sticking out from its surface, which allow it to attach to and enter cells in the human body. Professor Max Crispin, who is leading the research, said the spikes are coated in sugars called glycans, which hide their viral proteins so to evade our immune systems.
"By coating themselves in sugars, viruses are like a wolf in sheep's clothing," said the professor. "But one of the key findings of our study is that despite how many sugars there are, this coronavirus is not as highly shielded as some other viruses.
Healthtech firm announces availability of COVID-19 toolkit
Healthtech company DrDoctor has announced its complete COVID-19 toolkit is now available, free of license fees to any hospital that requires it. The toolkit comprises of the broadcast messaging and video consultation services and the digital symptom assessment tracker.
EU unveils coronavirus app tracking guidelines
The European Commission on Wednesday recommended establishing a pan-European approach to using mobile technologies and data to better tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Commission called for the development of a so-called toolbox — an array of policy instruments — to use such technologies to better inform the public and track the effect of various measures aimed at curbing the outbreak, including social distancing and contact tracing.
Coronavirus: medication and plasma being experimented on in Bergamo hospitals
Bergamo hospitals have seen the start of authorised experimentation with drugs and therapies that have offered some encouraging results for the treatment of Covid-19 . Remdesivir, an anti-viral already used against Sars and Ebola, will be tested at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo; we've seen tocilizumab, an anti-arthritis drug ready to be tested in Naples. There's also going to be some work done with the plasma from healed donors to measure its impact here in Bergamo hospitals as well
US trial of Japanese flu drug for coronavirus gets green light
The US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light for the country’s first clinical trial of a Japanese flu drug that could be used to treat the coronavirus, according to a report. The drug, also known by the brand name Avigan, was hailed by Chinese health officials as “clearly effective” when used on 340 patients in trials there that showed reduced recovery time and improved lung function. Three Massachusetts hospitals were granted approval Tuesday to launch small trials of the antiviral drug favipiravir, a doctor involved in the efforts told the Boston Globe.
New vaccine platform used to develop COVID-19 candidates
The University of Bristol and spin-out company Imophoron have announced they are ready to test COVID-19 vaccine candidates in a pre-clinical programme.
New Coronavirus Drug Shows Promise in Animal Tests
An oral medicine was able to hinder the coronavirus behind COVID-19 as it attempted to replicate itself in human lung cells in test tubes, scientists reported Monday. It also hampered closely related coronaviruses from reproducing in mice for several days and improved their lung functions. The drug, called EIDD-2801, interferes with a key mechanism that allows the SARS-CoV-2 virus to reproduce in high numbers and cause infections, the researchers explained in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Plasma treatment being tested in New York may be coronavirus 'game changer'
One of the first recovered patients to donate, Danny Riemer, 37, of New Rochelle, New York, said he and his wife feel "blessed" that they are now healthy and can volunteer their plasma to help others. "And despite the fact that we did have the virus, our thoughts are really with others, the people who are still fighting the virus, the people who have had much more serious cases than us," he said.
World's largest trial of potential coronavirus treatments rolled out across the UK
The largest randomised clinical trial of potential coronavirus (COVID-19) treatments is underway as part of the race to find a treatment.
