These are some COVID-19 resources for the general public—including therapists, as suggested by members of our community. As always, use your own judgment in weighing information, recommendations, etc.*
General information and guidance
- “What You Can Do About Coronavirus Right Now,” a New York Times guide to prevention, preparedness, keeping life as normal as possible, and dealing with illness.
- “Empowering and protecting your family during the COVID-19 pandemic,” a 57 minute video with Dr. David Price of Weill Cornell Medical Center
- John Hopkins University & Medicine COVOID-19 Information
- World Health Organization website: COVID-19 Advice for public
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Website: COVID-19 Community Mitigation Plans
- IHME COVID-19 Projections by State (USA)
- Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – Statistics and Research by Max Roser, Hannah Ritchie and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina
- What Coronavirus Symptoms Look Like, Day By Day (YouTube video)
- COVID-19 vs. US Daily Average Cause of Death – animated graphic showing the change of death rates over time and why social distancing to flatten the curve is essential
“Social Distancing” to “Flatten the Curve”
- Social distancing is the use of reduced contact, or distance, between people by avoiding public spaces and generally limiting movement and person-to-person contact.
- “Flatten the Curve” refers to slowing the transmission of the virus to avoid a steep, exponential influx of transmission which would eventually overwhelm the capacity of the health system to provide treatment and which would result in more people getting COVID-19 and more people ultimately experiencing complications, long-term effects, or dying.
- These interventions are particularly important since studies are starting to show that the virus can be transmitted for 3-5 weeks after symptoms disappear, and we that the virus can be transmitting for 2-10 on average, and up to 14 days, before symptoms appear.
- “Why Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially, and How to ‘Flatten the Curve'” by Harry Stevens provides real-time simulations to help explain what social distancing is and how it effectively “flattens the curve” to slow virus transmission, thereby reducing the overall pace, extent, and effect of transmission.
- “The Power of the Individual in an Exponential Crisis” by Jason Kottke shows the impact that averting one case can have in an exponential crisis and underscores why social distancing and flattening the curve on an individual-by-individual basis is so critical – demonstrating how just one person’s actions now can avert 1800 cases as this crisis unfolds.
- Another useful GIF graphic showing the effects of social distancing on reducing transmission is available at from an article entitled, “Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What does ‘level two’ mean – and why does it matter?”
Steps you can take to protect yourself and those around you
- CDC: “When and How to Wash Your Hands”
- Psychological Coping During a Pandemic – PDF by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta
- “Taking Care of Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic” – YouTube video
- “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Coping With and Preventing COVID-19 by the Canadian Psychological Association
- “Don’t Go Down a Coronavirus Anxiety Spiral – Here’s what you can do to relieve your worries, while still keeping you and your family safe”
- How to properly wipe down your groceries and remove gloves
Mental, emotional, and physical well-being tools & resources
- “A Space to Breathe,” an online community from Exhale to Inhale offering free classes to “build stability and grounding and reconnect to your physical and emotional strength.”
- “The Science of Well-Being,” a free 10-week course from Yale University on Coursera to help increase your happiness and build more productive habits (rolling start dates; check the “enrollment options” link on the course webpage for future offerings)
- Yoga with Adriene – free yoga classes online!
- Meditation Exercises for Stress – Tony Robbins
- Relaxation Techniques for your Life –
- Take a virtual tour of a museum – Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch
- “Tips to Help Deal with Anxiety Caused By the Ongoing Coronavirus Scare” podcast with Hilary Jacobs Hendel
- “10 Tips to Prevent Fights with Loved Ones During Quarantine” Psychology Today blog by Hilary Jacobs Hendel
- “Get to Know Your Emotions” by Hilary Jacobs Hendel
- “Neurosequential Network: COVID-19 Stress & Trauma Series” by Dr. Bruce D. Perry
- “Your anxiety can produce symptoms that make you think you have coronavirus” by Ellen Scott – an article to help differentiate anxiety and COVID-19 symptoms
- ConnectionStudio – offers a variety of videos, webinars, and support services related to a range of emotional health topics
- Miss the gym? From yoga and HIIT to social distance dancing — stream these classes for free
- Getting a good night’s sleep: How psychologists help with insomnia (American Psychological Association)
- Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear, and Uncertainty
- How to prevent and cope with anxiety surrounding coronavirus
Arts & entertainment
- “The Social Distancing Festival,” a site live-streaming art and performances from around the world.
- Free Coloring Books from 113 Museums
- Self-isolating? NFB is streaming free titles including an Indigenous cinema library
For children, teens, adolescents, and families
- “Hello! I’m a Virus,” a children’s book
- The story of the oyster and the butterfly: The Corona Virus and me by Ana M Gomez
- “Adjusting to the New Normal: Help For Families During The Covid-19 Pandemic,” a 6-minute webinar of 3/29/20, available on demand (registration required)
- A list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closures
- Home schooling resources from teachmama.com
- Virtual field trip links
- CNN: “Scholastic is offering free online courses so your kids can keep learning while schools are closed” news article
- Live Calm Kids Online – Introduction for ParentsLive Calm Kids Online – Introduction for Parents (YouTube video)
Financial Supports
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses – financial and economic response from the Federal Government of Canada, with support for individuals, families, and businesses; Related to this, “Carleton prof creates plain-language guide for getting government aid” by Blair Crawford is an article available to support Canadians in accessing government aid.
- United States Disaster Relief Assistance – “In the CARES Act borrowers can receive up to $10k emergency cash within three days, which will be forgiven, if it is spent on paid leave, maintaining payroll and rent that can’t be met due to revenue loss. This is open to sole proprietors, independent contractors, small businesses and non-profits with less than 500 employees. You may keep the $10k emergency cash grant even if you don’t qualify for a bigger loan. Apply at www.SBA.gov/disaster. There are no loan fees, guarantee fees or prepayment fees.” – courtesy of one of our ListServe members
Give Back! Help others!
- Contribute within your community and give back! Contact your local blood donation organization and donate blood! (Click here for Canadian Blood Services) (Click here for the American Red Cross Blood Services, including COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Program and local blood donations)
- “If we’re all caught in a dangerous pandemic, where does the impulse to help others come from?” (Washington Post article)
- “Nursing Home Lets You ‘Adopt’ A Lonely Grandparent In Isolation” By
-
Calling all suppliers – Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Good news stories
- NBA players recovered from COVID-19 donating to blood plasma clinical trials to help others
- Canada begins clinical trial of experimental COVID-19 treatment using plasma from recovered individuals
- Okotoks teen 3D prints dozens of face shields for health-care workers amid COVID-19 outbreak
Other items of interest
- “That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief,” an interview with grief expert David Kessler, a co-author of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
- “The Correspondent,” a membership-by-donation online platform for “unbreaking news”, committed to collaborative, constructive, ad-free journalism, designed to be an antidote to click-driven, profit-oriented journalism.
- “History of Pandemics” – a visual representation of the history of pandemics
- “South Korea says recovered COVID-19 patients re-testing positive” CBC News
- Apple, Google to harness phones for COVID-19 infection tracking
- The Fascinating Art of Stripping Your Clothes and Other COVID Cleaning Tips
- All of Wirecutter’s Coronavirus Coverage
*IEDTA provides this information as a courtesy, but does not guarantee, endorse, or make any claims about the specific information provided, its accuracy, or its sources. By accessing this information, you release IEDTA from any and all liability related to this information, its use, or otherwise.
This page made possible by collaboration with Nathan Rice, Nat Kuhn, our IEDTA ListServ Members, IEDTA Community, Tami Chelew, and the IEDTA Membership & Community Committee. Thank you to all who have contributed!