Stay updated and informed about COVID-19 by using the resources below.
What is COVID-19?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, causes respiratory illness in people. It can spread from person to person through “respiratory droplets” that occur when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Symptoms range from mild to severe. Common symptoms that present 2 to 14 days after exposure include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency on January 30, 2020.
What is the novel coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19. That virus, called the novel coronavirus, is also known as SARS-CoV-2.
Longmeadow
- Town of Longmeadow
- Town of Longmeadow Website
- Longmeadow Public Schools
- Storrs Library Q&A on closing
Massachusetts
- Baystate Health COVID-19 Updates
- Emergency Orders, including March 15 order about restaurants, schools
- The Massachusetts Department of Health
- COVID-19 Dashboard includes daily and cumulative confirmed cases; cases by hospital, county, and age/sex/ethnicity; testing by date; deaths; hospital capacity; nursing home data; and PPE distribution. Updated everyday at 4:00 p.m.
- Interactive Map of Average Daily Case Rate (per 100,000), updated weekly.
- The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing MCDHH/MA created a visual tool to help hospital staff, medical personnel, first responders, and service providers communicate with hard of hearing and Deaf individuals and patients.
New England
- Connecticut COVID-19 State Information
- Maine COVID-19 State Information
- New Hampshire COVID-19 State Information
- Rhode Island COVID-19 State Information
- Vermont COVID-19 State Information
U.S.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CD) Health Department Directories
- National Institute of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Resources
- The National Library of Medicine
- New England Journal of Medicine
- Science News
- AARP: What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus
- U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO)
World
Dispelling Rumors
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Share Facts About COVID-19 Quick Facts Handout
- COVID-19: What Older Adults Need to Know
- Snopes: Fact-checking COVID-19
- NewsGuard: Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center
- World Health Organization (WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public, myth busters
- Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
Free Media Access
- The NY Times is offering free access to its Coronavirus coverage. Including this: Stocking your pantry.
Learn More
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources (Evidence Aid) Includes systematic reviews, guidelines and information, and journal and publisher resources (Elsevier, Lancet, NEJM, etc.) related to Coronavirus. Evidence Aid is a not-for-profit organization in the UK which specializes in collating and summarizing the best-available evidence about how to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.
LitCovid (NLM/NIH) LitCovid is a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus.
MedLine Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) – MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world’s largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The organization’s mission is aimed at providing health information to the public that is trusted, easy to understand, free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.
Journal Article Citations on COVID-19 (PubMed)
Financial Information & Assistance
- Small Business Assistance for COVID-19 (Mass.gov) Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program
- Unemployment Resources (MA Department of Public Health) Information on unemployment for workers in MA affected by COVID-19.
- Unemployment Insurance (UI) Online (MA Depart of Unemployment Assistance) Apply for benefits and access MA DUA resources here.
- News State Health Officials Announce Launch of 2-1-1 to Provide COVID-19 Information and Referrals 24/7 This 24×7 hotline is now partnering with the MA Department of Public Health to provide real-time COVID-19 information, resources, and referrals in multiple languages. Mass 211 also offers information about essential community services in MA, including food, childcare, financial assistance, and more. Mass 211 responds immediately during times of crisis, to field calls regarding the crisis and to direct callers to services most appropriate for their needs. If you are unable to reach 2-1-1 due to your telephone or cell phone carrier, a toll-free number is available 1-877-211-MASS (6277); Hearing impaired callers can reach us using 508-370-4890 TTY.
Children and Youth
- Helping Children Cope (Ready.gov)
- Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus (NPR) Comic that includes information from healthcare experts interviewed for an NPR story. Can also be printed and folded into a zine.
- Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Corronavirus Diease 2019 (NCTSN) This resource will help parents and caregivers think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect their family— both physically and emotionally—and what they can do to help their family cope.
- Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource (NASP/NASN) Guidelines from the National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses
- Coronavirus Infogrpahic and Game Free resources for teaching children about the Coronavirus and hygiene.
Mental Health
- Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 (CDC)
- Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety (Shine) “Resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty.”
- Disaster Distress Helpline (Call: 1-800-985-5990) SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
- Five Ways to View Coverage of the Coronavirus (APA) New reports about the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, becoming more widespread are making some people anxious. Here are some tips to help you manage your anxiety, put news reports in perspective and maintain a positive outlook.
- Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health (SAMHSA) Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation during an Infectious Disease Outbreak
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty If you are struggling, here are some things you can do to take care of your mental health in the face of uncertainty from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.