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Talking to Community: Behavioural Change in the Age of COVID-19

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Response to public health emergencies requires changes in regular behavioural patterns. Encouraging these changes requires coordination and an understanding of the culture and communities affected.

This article, written by Pramudith D. Rupasinghe, describes experiences with Ebola and COVID-19 wherein behavior change was an integral part of working with communities to prevent infection, care for the sick, and learn about the disease in Sri Lanka and Liberia.

Source: Talking to Community: Behavioural Change in the Age of COVID-19

    Views 1003

    COVID-19: Long Term Health Effects

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    This guidance from Public Health England explains that around 10% of mild coronavirus (COVID-19) cases who were not admitted to a hospital have reported symptoms lasting more than 4 weeks. A number of hospitalized cases reported continuing symptoms for 8 or more weeks following discharge.

    It suggests that patients recovering from COVID-19 infection should speak to their family doctor about local care pathways for support and assessment of any long-term symptoms or health problems.

    Source: COVID-19: Long Term Health Effects

      Views 851

      Wear Your Mask the Right Way

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      This is a series of Instagram messages created by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The messages show the many ways people avoid wearing their masks properly, along with a humorous message. The posters address common mistakes people make while wearing a mask, such as holding it in their hands, wearing it on their arms or on their chin.

      Source: Wear Your Mask the Right Way

        Views 563

        mHero App

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        This app was developed during the Ebola crisis to help frontline health workers to keep u to date with the latest data and guidance, as well as keep a check on their own health.

        Lessons learned from the Ebola response pointed to how fast, informative communication to frontline health workers and their immediate, precise case reporting helped tackle the health emergency. mHero was useful in engaging communities, managing rumors, and mitigating public health threats.

        Given mHero’s origin, it is uniquely suited to fulfill communication needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mHero platform can be used for myriad government health communications needs, segmenting health workers into specific groups to:

        • Coordinate health promotion strategies and public health emergency responses
        • Train health workers on infection prevention and control and risk communication
        • Test health worker knowledge of COVID-19 responses through mini-quizzes
        • Report suspected COVID-19 cases and other high-priority diseases
        • Relay unanticipated stock-outs of essential commodities such as sterile gloves, masks, and respirators
        • Reveal local health and safety concerns, including mental health and physical risks

        Source: mHero App

          Views 763

          What is the World Doing about COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance?

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          Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the WHO declared vaccination hesitancy one of the Top 10 threats to global health in 2019.

          A vaccine will help prevent new infections, and more than that, it will help businesses and schools in hard-hit countries get back to normal. Vast amounts of money have been invested in finding a vaccine and media reports update us regularly on the progress of over 200 candidate vaccines under evaluation.This blog shares research on vaccine acceptance worldwide.

          Source: What is the World Doing about COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance?

            Views 655

            COVID-19 Contact Tracing Online Course

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            The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across the country, requiring thousands of people to learn key skills quickly. The job qualifications for contact tracing positions differ throughout the country and the world, with some new positions open to individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.

            In this introductory course, students will learn about the science of SARS-CoV-2 , including the infectious period, the clinical presentation of COVID-19, and the evidence for how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person-to-person and why contact tracing can be such an effective public health intervention. Students will learn about how contact tracing is done, including how to build rapport with cases, identify their contacts, and support both cases and their contacts to stop transmission in their communities.

            The course will also cover several important ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Finally, the course will identify some of the most common barriers to contact tracing efforts — along with strategies to overcome them.

            Source: COVID-19 Contact Tracing Online Course

              Views 656

              Who to Trust and How to Overcome COVID-19 Misinformation in Nigeria

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              In Nigeria, as in many countries, social media has allowed anyone to post COVID-19 misinformation as truth and fact, while misleading the public and, in some cases, causing real damage.

              This article reviews some of the major misinformation events in Nigeria during the pandemic and notes the steps being taken to correct that situation.

              Source: Who to Trust and How to Overcome COVID-19 Misinformation in Nigeria

                Views 769

                Coronavirus Message for Communities

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                This short video can be used in many communities.  It answers the questions: How does coronavirus (COVID-19) spread? What are the symptoms? Who is at risk? How can you protect yourself and your family?

                Source: Coronavirus Message for Communities

                  Views 894