Consumer Health Minute: Coronavirus Information

Posted by Carolyn Martin on February 25th, 2020 Posted in: Emergency Preparedness, Health Literacy, Public Health, Public Libraries
Tags: consumer health, disaster preparedness, disease outbreak

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The recent coronavirus outbreak has dominated the news and may be a topic of concern in your communities. People in your community may be coming to your library for reliable health information. Here are some resources to consider posting on your website, social media, and handouts.

MedlinePlus includes:

• Coronavirus Infections health topic page with information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and how it spreads.
• Coronavirus testing

The World Health Organization includes consumer resources for guidance on how to prevent the spread, what to do if sick, coping with the stress during the outbreak as well as addressing mis-information about the infection with fact sheets and infographics for you to download and use.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is a primary source of information. Though not as consumer focused as the websites listed above, it is great resource to learn more about the spread of the virus, recommendations, and what is being done to prevent further spread as well as what is being done to treat those infected.

For those who may be experiencing stress during this or any disease outbreak, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a publication, “Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks” which can be downloaded and printed for free. Having this fact sheet on hand or any of the resources mentioned in this post, will provide authoritative and trusted health information for those you serve.