Essential Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

The outbreak and spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is currently a significant healthcare topic that has many people concerned almost to the point of panic. As with all emergency and disaster scenarios, the best course of action is to become as well-informed as possible about the cause, spread and precautions that should be followed to minimize the risk to yourself and those around you.

Rather than write about a given day’s status of the outbreak and advice for how to defend against it, we have assembled this list of resources so you will be able to go directly to the sources of the information that is being reported. Most of these sites are updated regularly, if not daily. It would be in your best interest to check back often.

We believe that these links will not only provide you with the opportunity to find the latest and most accurate information, they also remove the potential for “spinning” the news, as is often the case with critical topics that can have a great impact on you and your family.

This list is by no means all-inclusive and we cannot guarantee that the entities listed will not make reporting mistakes of their own. Our favorite is Worldometer, near the bottom of the page.

If you have other sources that you feel are at least as credible, please let us know so we can consider adding them to this group.

NEW Consumer’s Guide to COVID-19

This link connects you with DrugWatch.com, where you’ll find a great deal of information about COVID-19 and the pandemic. Some topics include fast facts about the virus and how it’s being fought, how to protect yourself and others, health insurance changes, how to deal with mental health issues, such as anxiety, and much more.

Situation Trackers

Daily Updates on a Variety of Statistics Relating to the 2019/2020 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak

HealthMap.org

Global Map Showing Case Counts

https://www.healthmap.org/covid-19/

 

Worldometer

Shows a Timeline of Case Reports and Provides a Great Deal of Detail and Provides Additional Links to Other Resources

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

NEW  USA-specific Tracker and Timeline of Coronavirus Cases

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

 

NEW Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Shows regularly-updated statistics and case status by location worldwide.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

 

NEW  Career and Employment Information

Unemployment is the worst it’s been since the Great Depression and a recession, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, is creeping into this dynamic and complicated situation. Learn more about what may be coming and how to prepare for it.

https://novoresume.com/career-blog/coronavirus-impact-on-careers

 

NEW  Quarantine Information

Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-confirmed Cases

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html

 

Information About Pandemics

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Pandemic Basics

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/index.html

 

Past Pandemics

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html

 

2019/2020 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Information

CDC

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Updated regularly)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

 

NEW  Frequently Asked Questions

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

 

Mayo Clinic

Coronavirus (Updated regularly)

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963

 

World Health Organization (WHO)

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak (Updated regularly)

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

 

Nitrile Gloves

Best Nitrile Gloves for 2020 (Product Review)

https://www.edcmag.com/best-nitrile-gloves/#Best_Nitrile_Gloves_Reviews_of_2020

 

CDC Stacks test of “Integrity of Disposable Nitrile Gloves Exposed to Simulated Movement”

(See page 15 for the gloves tested and page 18 for how they performed.)

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/33216

 

Masks and N95 Respirators

Information about the capabilities of certain products and other useful details

3M Company

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/worker-health-safety-us/all-stories/full-story-detail/?storyid=8855304f-01cb-4af2-8937-83096cdb4113

 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/masks-and-n95-respirators

 

Hygiene Information

From the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

“Hand Sanitizer Shown Less Effective Than Hand Washing Against Flu”

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/09/hand-sanitizer-shown-less-effective-hand-washing-against-flu

 

From the Canadian Government

“Proper Methods of Hand Washing”

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/diseases/benefits-hand-washing.html#the

 

From the World Health Organization (WHO)
“WHO: How to handwash? With soap and water”

 

From Mythbusters

“The Safe Sneeze”

Comparative effectiveness of three ways to cover your sneeze.

 

Travel Information

CDC

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel (Updated regularly)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

 

U.S. State Department

Recommendations and Restrictions Regarding Travel Outside the U.S.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province–china.html