COVID-19 Weekly Update

Hello all,

My name is Nina Duggan, and over the past several months I’ve been working with Healthy Acadia’s Vaccine Equity and Promotion Project as the Youth Team Lead.

I’m going to be sharing weekly updates about COVID-19, and some resources you may find useful on testing, vaccination, and best practices in preventative measures.

There has been a glut of misinformation regarding Covid-19 spread these past few years. The topic is overwhelming, the statistics intimidating, and has become politically charged.

That doesn’t mean we can afford to stop talking about it however, especially as numbers continue to rise with the new Omicron variant. Correct and timely information becomes more important than ever in this changing environment, we have a lot of smart and dedicated people working on ways to keep us safe.

There are helpful and constructive ways to have conversations about COVID-19, regardless of background, that get this good information circulating. Even with all of the time that I spend steeped in information on the COVID-19 pandemic I’m still quite hopeful, and being informed helps me feel a sense of agency in this strange new world.

Here are a few helpful pieces put together that talk about the best ways to have helpful conversations with your friends, neighbors, and loved ones about COVID-19:

·       General article on Constructive conversations about COVID-19 put out by the CIPSRT (Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment) in Canada: https://www.cipsrt-icrtsp.ca/en/crrp/talking-about-covid-19-tips-for-constructive-conversations

·       PBS article on 10 Tips for talking about COVID-19 with your kids: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/10-tips-for-talking-about-covid-19-with-your-kids

·       Short piece by University of Colorado on effective Covid-19 conversations: https://www.colorado.edu/health/3-tips-have-effective-conversation-about-covid-19

In the News:

It can be difficult keeping up with the rapidly changing environment of the pandemic. Each week I will share some of the most pertinent news stories affecting us and our daily lives.

This week we’re featuring some information on the newly available testing kits provided by the U.S. government.

Free COVID-19 Tests Now Available from the U.S. Government

The U.S. has now made available free at home COVID-19 test kits for every U.S. household. You can order up to 4 tests, with current shipping times being roughly 7-12 days.

These tests are:

·       Rapid antigen tests, not the PCR tests

·       Can be taken anywhere, including in the comfort of your home

·       Provide results within 30 minutes

·       Will detect COVID-19 even if you are asymptomatic 

·       Work regardless of vaccination status

To order, follow this link: https://www.covidtests.gov/

Featured in the Field:

There are many fantastic health care professionals and scientists who are keeping up a presence on social media. They have been working to keep us up to date on information, allay some fears, and help combat disinformation during the pandemic.

Each week I will be featuring a social media account for anyone to check out and consider following for more information.

This week’s featured account is Dr. Elizabeth Marnik, known on Facebook and Instagram as “Science Whiz Liz”. Dr. Marnik is a professor in biology at Husson University, and has done substantial work in the fields of immunology and genetics.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencewhizliz/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sciencewhizliz/

Website: https://www.elisabethmarnikphd.com/blog/

Stay safe, stay healthy - we will get through this!