"Connecting Communities for COVID19 News" 23rd Mar 2020
Isolation Tips
WHO Health Alert brings COVID-19 facts to billions via WhatsApp
WHO Health Alert on COVID-19
Coronavirus symptoms: how quickly do they show and what to look out for
This guide on coronavirus symptoms, underpinned with advice from leading health experts, is designed to protect you and your family
One doctor’s straight talk about the coronavirus strikes a chord with anxious Americans
A Chicago epidemiologist is drawing praise for her comments at a Friday news conference that outlined with clarity and urgency how seemingly small sacrifices today will prevent deaths of loved ones and strangers next week.
Stress, Anxiety and Depression Associated With the Coronavirus COVID-19 Disease
The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a particular and rare situation. It can affect people physically, but also psychologically. In this type of context, many people will experience stress, anxiety and depression reactions. This page should be seen as a resource that can help you to minimize the repercussions of these kinds of reactions on your life.
How to deal with stress and anxiety induced by the coronavirus epidemic
CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta speak with psychologist Gretchen Schmelzer during a CNN town hall about how to cope with stress induced by the coronavirus outbreak. #CNN #News
Listen to these medical professionals - join them and save lives - its easy STAY AT HOME
Save lives stay at home
Self-isolating in style - Sally and Ken from Penzance are both in their 80s, both have dementia but she loves to play the piano - no sheet music! - and he loves to dance
This is self-isolating in style - Sally and Ken from Penzance are both in their 80s, both have dementia but she loves to play the piano - no sheet music! - and he loves to dance Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes #coronavirus #selfisolating
Recruiting adults in the UK to answer weekly 10-15min online surveys about their psychological & social experiences during Covid-19.
*** NEW COVID-19 STUDY ***
Recruiting adults in the UK to answer weekly 10-15min online surveys about their psychological & social experiences during Covid-19. Results will help identify the effects of social isolation & how to support mental health. http://covid19study.org
Tired of all the bad news?: 10 good news about the coronavirus
Tired of negativity ?: 10 good news about the coronavirus; we know what the virus is, we know how to detect it, China just saw two days in a row without a new infection, 80% of the cases are mild, most are cured, children and young people 'seem to be' less affected, washing your hands regularly can deactivate any virus traces on them, there are hundreds of published scientific articles, a vaccine to prevent it is getting closer, there are already more than 80 clinical trials with antiviral medicines seeking to combat it
Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down for Coronavirus
In cities across the United States, traffic on roads and highways has fallen dramatically over the past week as the coronavirus outbreak forces people to stay at home and everyday life grinds to a halt. Pollution has dropped too. A satellite that detects emissions in the atmosphere linked to cars and trucks shows huge declines in pollution over major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Chicago and Atlanta.
Hygiene Helpers
Song about how social distancing & handwashing can help us work together to beat the coronavirus (subtitles)
Song about how social distancing can help us work together to beat the coronavirus (subtitles)
Hygiene Helpers - website resource for parents on coronavirus issues - University of Florida
Meet the Helpers is a website working to keep families safe from the Coronavirus. Learn what is The best way to help is to develop and reinforce good hygiene routines.
How to wash your hands like a pro
Video explaining how to wash your hands like a pro
Get social distancing now, it is how you can help flatten the curve in the number of cases & make it manageable for our health services - be your community's champion
Doctors warn coronavirus could overwhelm NHS ‘within weeks’ - Intensive care audit shows sharp rise in admissions to critical care as London hospitals struggle to cope
You must social distance as soon as possible. It's the only way to stop our key healthcare workers getting infected too. They risk their lives helping you. Let's help them by social distancing now
Coronavirus: 'Healthy' NHS nurse, 36, in intensive care after contracting COVID-19
Animated match-burning video shows how social distancing can stop the spread of Covid-19
Spanish graphic designer Juan Delcan created an animated video to demonstrate how social distancing can stop the spread of Covid-19. He hopes the video will encourage the viewers to stay home amid the pandemic.
Stay home flatten the curve!
Stay home flatten the curve!
Police vow to enforce virus pub ban as some in UK continue to gather
Scotland says it will enforce law; Northern Ireland deals with end-of-school parties; Wales boosts NHS measures
Last night the NYPD visited 6,900 bars & restaurants. NO summonses or arrests, and NO enforcement action needed. 4,900 locations were already closed
New Yorkers: Always adapt. Always at our best in a crisis. Last night the NYPD visited 6,900 bars & restaurants. NO summonses or arrests, and NO enforcement action needed. 4,900 locations were already closed. Thank you, NYC
Brilliant #NHSCovidHeroes doing a much better job at messaging Covid
Brilliant #NHSCovidHeroes doing a much better job at messaging on Covid than the government, despite the latter’s access to millions and the ears of all the top lobby journos #StayHomeSaveLives
Community Activities
Bristolians are self-organising a phenomenal coronavirus fight back in ways that will outlast pandemic
Noah Goldman is a bar worker who describes himself as “the person who happened to set up a Facebook group” on 12th March. That group, Bristol Community Care – Covid-19 Mutual Aid, now has thousands of members and has helped spawn a Facebook group for almost all postcode areas in Bristol. “I was talking to a friend in Italy about how they were dealing with the outbreak, and thought we need to do something now to collectively defend ourselves,” he says. The response has been overwhelming. “People have organised in an organic way that I wouldn’t have considered a possibility last week,” he adds. “Where the government has failed, we are now looking across the street for answers.” He’s now buckling down to support the BS5 group, which has one thousand members.
Here are some of the heroes rising from the coronavirus pandemic
Here are some of the ways people are lending a hand through individual acts and large-scale efforts: Feeding children who depend on school to eat, Contributing to hourly workers' wages, Providing resources to those most affected, Some people are using music to bridge the distance the outbreak has imposed on their communities,
Voice of the People: Coronavirus will only be defeated by acts of humanity
As a nation, we have never been here before. And we cannot be sure, beyond hope, where or how we are going to end up.
Somerset Facebook group helping vulnerable during pandemic goes viral
More than 10,000 people have joined Coronavirus Community Help Taunton on Facebook to help elderly and vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak
'It's loneliness that kills, not the virus': volunteers step forward to help
From musicians to dog walkers, people from all walks of life are mobilising to support people coping with isolation
Big applause hour for NHS 26th March 8pm
This made me cry just reading it. It’s going to be quite a moment. Please share far and wide #CoronaCrisis
Acts of kindness amid coronavirus pandemic
From supermarkets establishing "elderly hours" to people singing from their balconies in a show of solidarity, here are some random acts of kindness that help keep spirits up during tough times
Spaniards applaud their healthworker heroes each day at 8pm from their balconies and their windows
Spaniards applaud their healthworker heroes each day at 8pm from their balconies and their windows. This lifts everyone's spirits and expresses the solidarity most feel towards the Spanish health service battling the coronavirus sweeping the country
Video - police in Mallorca on lock down rounds entertain the people
The Police in Mallorca, Spain making rounds around villages on lock down to do this To alleviate the anxiety of the people and to keep them entertained
Social distancing - Mumbai, India: Empty platforms at Nahur station on central line in Mumbai
Mumbai: Empty platforms at Nahur station on central line in Mumbai. #JantaCurfew #CautionYesPanicNo
Chino Hills High School Chamber Singers recorded “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from their homes while #PhysicalDistancing in #California.
Chino Hills High School Chamber Singers recorded “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from their homes while #PhysicalDistancing in #California. 19 students *individually* filmed their a cappella parts, then synched up their videos in a virtual performance.
Cornavirus: Britain's rural towns warn 'don't come here to escape COVID-19'
People have been told to stay home but many are trying to find isolation elsewhere, placing strain on small towns.
Coronavirus: what your insurance may (and may not) cover
Travel has been a big issue for many people – but your policy could also help with weddings, income and rent
A senior NHS boss has accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: “Frankly we should all be ashamed.”
A senior NHS boss has accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: “Frankly we should all be ashamed.” NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis’ comments, at a Downing Street press conference, came after days in which supermarkets have seen their shelves stripped of food by shoppers fearful of running out during the coronavirus shutdown.
When you buy too much, you cause problems in the resupply chain. This hurts the vulnerable. Stop panic buying.
When you buy too much, you cause problems in the resupply chain.
This hurts the vulnerable. Stop panic buying.
NHS staff dancing - these amazing people keep us all safe (click to see video)
The spirit of NHS staff is absolutely astonishing - Please RT if you’re proud. WE WILL BEAT THIS!
The best financial resources during the coronavirus crisis
The newspaper lists a series of useful tips for dealing with the financial crisis which has been caused in many households because of the coronoavirus pandemic
Seeking to register volunteers to help the elderly and single people in Russia during any coronavirus quarantine period
The government strongly encourage everyone over the age of 60 to self-isolate at home for at least 3 weeks in a bid to shield them from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. NGOs are calling for volunteers to make sure that elderly and vulnerable neighbors have everything they need. In each region of the country, regional coordinators of volunteer headquarters for the elderly in the coronavirus situation have been identified.
Working Remotely
Coronavirus: tidy up your books, we’re all watching remotely
We know that adventurer Ben Fogle colour-co-ordinates his bookshelves. Like remote-working Kevin McClouds, we will snoop during these isolated times. How much more will the boundaries between life and work break down? Next week, the children are home, so we will find out.
An online ambience that recreates the sound of your local cafe to help you work better
Coffitivity recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better. Proven and peer reviewed, see the research to learn more.
Virtual Classrooms
10 strategies for online learning during a coronavirus outbreak
Members of ISTE’s professional learning networks have been hard at work identifying key practices for successful online learning. Here are some of the best ideas from educators from around the world, many of whom have already been teaching during coronavirus closures.
Public Policies
Coronavirus: What could the West learn from Asia?
Take it seriously and act quickly - amke tests extensive and affordable - trace and isolate - early social distancing - keep public well-informed and onside - it is down to individuals and their attitudes and responses to this
Coronavirus: Sturgeon issues warning to pubs refusing to close
The First Minister said pubs and clubs who had not yet shut were 'putting lives at risk'.
Coronavirus: behind the scenes of the standoff between Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson
By Friday evening everything was ready to close the border between France and the UK. Emmanuel Macron called Boris Johnson, to warn him: if he persisted in taking no measures to stop the progression of the coronavirus pandemic on his territory, France would have no other choice to refuse entry to its territory to all travelers from the UK and all other EU countries would have done the same. The UK's 'policy of benign neglect' was endangering lives
Norway Parliament Grants Government Limited Emergency Powers
Norway’s parliament has agreed to give the government emergency powers to fight the coronavirus pandemic, but added restrictions to the administration’s initial proposal, party leaders told reporters in Oslo on Saturday.
The federal government is considering offering direct financial help to tenants,
The federal government is considering offering direct financial help to tenants, as well as to parents in expected payment difficulties because of the corona crisis. For example, a ban on evictions and a child supplement payment are under discussion
Germany tears up fiscal rule book to counter coronavirus pandemic (Paywall)
Berlin is planning to raise €150bn in new debt to bolster the ailing economy during this time of coronavirus crisis. Finance minister Olaf Scholz will also present the German cabinet with plans to create a new €500bn bailout fund to rescue companies hit by the outbreak, according to three people familiar with the plans.
The medical team that stopped the coronavirus in China recommends tightening the quarantine in Italy right now: "There are too many people on the street,
The medical team that stopped the coronavirus in China recommends tightening the quarantine in Italy right now: "There are too many people on the street, I don't understand what authorities are thinking by letting them do this" - "In Wuhan, just a month after the total closure we saw the first results, case levels dropped and our hospitals were able to treat patients with the necessary measures and we reduced infections," he added.
German states move closer to near-total lockdowns
Germany's state and federal leaders are yet to decide on whether to impose a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Bavaria has introduced drastic measures of its own, but other states have also edged closer to curfews.
Government to Pay 80% of Staff Wages
The Chancellor has today announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), under which all employers can apply to HMRC for a grant to pay 80% of the wages of retained staff who are not working (known as "furlough”) up to a maximum of £2,500 per worker per month. The CJRS will be backdated to 1st March 2020 and will remain in place until at least the end of May 2020.
Coronavirus: Germany bans gatherings of more than two people
Germany will ban public meetings of more than two people as the nation works on slowing the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state has announced.
How Singapore waged war on coronavirus (paywall)
“We used the lead time that China gave us by its massive shutdown to really refine our readiness,” said Dale Fisher, professor of infectious diseases at the National University of Singapore. “By the time we had one of our cases, we were able to do tests and within a week, tests were available in all major hospitals.”
Harsh steps are needed to stop the cornonavirus experts say
No one is certain why the virus travels in this way, but experts see an opening nonetheless. “You can contain clusters,” Dr. Heymann said. “You need to identify and stop discrete outbreaks, and then do rigorous contact tracing.” But doing so takes intelligent, rapidly adaptive work by health officials, and near-total cooperation from the populace. Containment becomes realistic only when Americans realize that working together is the only way to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just announced a four level alert system for COVID-19 and has asked all people to stop non-essential travel.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just announced a four level alert system for COVID-19 and has asked all people to stop non-essential travel. These guidelines are set out below:
Merkel goes into quarantine after doctor tests positive for coronavirus
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will go into self-quarantine at home after a doctor who gave her a vaccination tested positive for the coronavirus. A government spokesperson said Sunday the doctor had given the chancellor a "prophylactic pneumococcus vaccine" on Friday afternoon. The chancellor was informed of the positive test after she announced strict new rules across the country on Sunday aimed at containing the virus, the spokesperson said.
Yuval Harari: This is the worst epidemic in 'at least 100 years'
The bestselling author of "Sapiens", Yuval Noah Harari tells Christiane Amanpour that the coronavirus is the worst global health threat we have faced in at least a century.
Yuval Noah Harari: the world after coronavirus (Paywall)
The decisions people and governments take in the next few weeks will probably shape the world for years to come. They will shape not just our healthcare systems but also our economy, politics and culture. We must act quickly and decisively. We should also take into account the long-term consequences of our actions. When choosing between alternatives, we should ask ourselves not only how to overcome the immediate threat, but also what kind of world we will inhabit once the storm passes
Maintaining Services
Tens of thousands of Spaniards have to break their confinement to work each day. We collect testimonies from those employees who cannot stay at home: this is the story of the workers who are most exposed in the midst of a pandemic
Every day at eight in the evening, millions of Spaniards applaud from their windows and balconies across the country. This is Spain shut down by the coronavirus, which welcomes and thanks with applause the work of health professionals such as Carmen, health workers who fight in hand-to-hand combat against the coronavirus and its effects on the health of the population as a whole
My @WHO colleagues and I are so glad to see these aggressive moves by @Twitter to end misinformation and help keep the world safe from #coronavirus
People urgently need reliable and accurate information about #COVID19. This is why my @WHO colleagues and I are so glad to see these aggressive moves by
@Twitter to end misinformation and help keep the world safe from #coronavirus
We’ve pivoted to solely produce surgical masks and medical garments
I have been fruitlessly trying to reach your office regarding helping with NY’s medical supply shortages. We’ve pivoted to solely produce surgical masks and medical garments. We have the capacity to make 2 million masks a day, and would love to help. E-mails have had no response.
Companies are scrambling to build more ventilators (partial paywall)
In one category of product, scarcity is all too real. Overwhelmed health services are desperately short of mechanical ventilators to help the roughly 10% of sufferers with severe symptoms to breathe. Political leaders are urging existing specialist producers to ramp up production. Germany’s government ordered 16,000 new machines from two domestic producers. Others, like Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, want manufacturers of all stripes to retool and help out. That is easier said than done
‘The government threw us under the bus’: How Bristol food businesses are working to survive coronavirus
Small businesses, especially in hospitality, face bankruptcy as Bristol goes into self isolation, but some are finding innovative ways to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Governments and Companies Race to Make Masks Vital to Virus Fight
President Trump resists using emergency powers to compel production, saying companies will voluntarily provide much-needed protective gear. It is unclear whether enough new masks and other protective gear will be available before health care facilities start getting overwhelmed by an anticipated flood of infected patients.
UK government draws up plans to buy airline shares, that would eventually be sold back to private investors, to keep them afloat during Covid-19 !
UK government draws up plans to buy airline shares, that would eventually be sold back to private investors, to keep them afloat during Covid-19
Healthcare Innovations
South Korea has set up 'phone booths' that can test people for the #coronavirus in just 7 minutes.
The country has earned praise for its mass testing amid the #Covid19 pandemic.
Indonesia turns athletes village to emergency hospital as coronavirus cases rise
Indonesia has turned its “Athlete’s Village” built for the 2018 Asian Games into an emergency hospital with a capacity to hold more than 4,000 patients, authorities said on Sunday, as coronavirus cases and deaths in the country rose. Four out of 10 towers in the Athlete’s Village, located in the country’s capital city, have been converted into a medical facility that would house more than 7,000 people, including a coronavirus task force, medical staff and up to 4,208 patients.
Baden-Württemberg wants to take in Corona patients from France
According to “Schwäbische Zeitung”, Baden-Württemberg has agreed to admit seriously ill coronavirus patients from France to its clinics. The Ministry of Health asked the hospitals to report how many vacant ICU beds it had. Prime Minister Kretschmann is pledging Baden-Württemberg support
Spain is going to try robotic testing for COVID-19 to increase the volumes of testing so urgently needed
Raquel Yotti, director of Carlos III Public Health Institute, earlier said the first devices were being distributed on Saturday and added the government was working on acquiring four robots that could bring the number of daily tests to 80,000. That would be up from 15,000-20,000 a day at the moment. Robots are helpful as they can conduct automated testing, she said. Authorities also said they were acquiring more medical equipment, including 700 ventilators. Around 1.3 million protective masks were distributed on Saturday across Spain for healthcare staff and patients.
FDA authorizes first rapid, 'point of care' coronavirus test
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first coronavirus diagnostic test that can be conducted entirely at the point of care. The test from California-based Cepheid will deliver results in about 45 minutes — much faster than current tests that require a sample to be sent to a centralized lab, where results can take days. The test has been designed to operate on any of Cepheid's more than 23,000 automated GeneXpert Systems worldwide, of which 5,000 are in the U.S., the company said. The systems are already being used to test for conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis.
Doctors Turn to Malaria Drugs as Potential Coronavirus Treatment
Some studies of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have shown early signs of improving symptoms and manufacturers are donating drugs or looking at an increase in supplies
Coronavirus, the geopolitics of the vaccine race. And the first volunteers already try it
Oxford University will start testing next month. The hVivo labs in London offered £3,500 to citizens willing to collaborate. 20 thousand replied. In Seattle on Monday, the Kaiser Research Institute began testing a vaccine on volunteers. "It's a great opportunity to make myself useful," said Jennifer Haller, 43, after receiving the injection
The coronavirus vaccine being developed in Spain is the "most advanced" but it will take time before it becomes available
The vaccine against the new coronavirus that is being developed at the National Center for Microbiology (CNB) which is one of the "most advanced" labs in the world, according to the Minister of Science and Innovation, Pedro Duque, but the Minister warns that it will take time to arrive. "The virus is being synthesized in other laboratories with which the CNB collaborates, the network is testing to find ways to eliminate the most active and virulent portions of the virus and beginning steps to create a vaccine"
Coronavirus: China's vaccine is successfully tested on monkeys
The South China Morning Post claims that Chinese scientists have made great strides after a group of infected monkeys effectively developed immunity to the coronavirus from a newly tried vaccination
Coronavirus treatment research is being held up by Trump’s ban on the use of fetal tissue
A government-employed researcher has requested an exemption from the policy in order to begin testing coronavirus therapies.
Israeli rapid COVID-19 lab diagnostic kits in production
A hospital lab kit to diagnose COVID-19 in 50 minutes is nearing the market, while a home kit will be ready within four months, says BATM founder.
Lost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection
Doctor groups are recommending testing and isolation for people who lose their ability to smell and taste, even if they have no other symptoms.
A Silent Hero of the Coronavirus Crisis
Technology has been the true champion in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. Here, I don’t mean the ICUs and respirators without which severely ill patients would not stand a chance. I mean the new data-driven technologies that enabled responsible governments to track the infected, contact them, and quarantine them early. These technologies have been the target of much criticism in recent years. Now, when they are helping us save lives, they deserve our praise.
