Dear Pandemic community-We are so grateful to each and every one of you for coming along with us on this strange, surprising, and often difficult journey. We’ve grown so much this past year--as individuals and as a community. #HappyThanksgiving#scicomm#Nerdygirls
We are so grateful for our readers and especially all our volunteers. Dear Pandemic’s contributions wouldn’t exist without all of you. Thank you to our followers for trusting us. You give us purpose every day.
Thank you for your commitment to facts. Thank you for asking questions instead of making assumptions. Thanks for laughing at the absurdities of our situation along with us. & most of all, thank you for keeping the candle of hope burning for a brighter future. #hope
Thank you to the public health professionals. We know you’ve been working hard to keep us all safe. Thank you to the nurses, doctors, therapists, & all the other clinical professionals who have been working hard to keep us whole and sane. @sarahmwc@IMPACT4HC@evebmd@FutureDocs
Thank you to the cooks, custodians, delivery truck drivers, elevator repair people, mask manufacturing plant workers, sanitation workers, administrative staff, data analysts, programmers, lab technicians, and everyone else who is part of the great machine of health care delivery.
Thank you to the creative people who are using 3D printers to make face shields and the creative people who are keeping us laughing through the worst collective year any of us can remember. #laughteristhebestmedicine
A: They are VERY different. In short – COVID-19 is more deadly, more people are susceptible to it, we have fewer treatments, and even “mild” bouts can leave long-term symptoms.
2/ To address the elephant in the room: **COVID-19 is MUCH deadlier than the flu.** In fact, since December 2019, #COVID19 has killed more people in the U.S. than influenza has in the past 5 years combined. mck.co/3qh350b
3/ Of course, the burden of COVID-19 is in ADDITION to all the other causes of death around the world, including continuing deaths caused by the flu. bit.ly/2VcB2k2
1/ Q: I like hearing about pandemic response success stories. Can you share another one?
A: We want to share the impressive an&d successful public health response of the Cherokee Nation.
2/ Their recipe: strong leadership, early decisive action, data-driven decisions, widespread testing, and a mask mandate. Compared to surrounding areas of Oklahoma State, the Cherokee Nation has experienced much lower case and mortality rates.
3/ We highly recommend a recent @statnews article by @ushamcfarling. In McFarling's article, you'll meet leaders like Lisa Pivec, a member of the Cherokee Nation & senior director of the Cherokee Nation Health Services. statnews.com/2020/11/17/how…
1/ It’s Election Day in the US! Thank you to our wonderful Dear Pandemic community for joining us for a weekly series on voting – something near & dear to our hearts. To celebrate, we wanted to re-share some key topics we’ve covered & remind you to VOTE if you haven’t already!
2/ FIRST: Brush up on what you need to stay safe while voting. Wear your mask, pack your hand sanitizer, umbrella, water, & voter ID, get as much space around you as you can, & wash your hands thoroughly before & after.
3/ Take a look at last week’s post to make sure you have everything ready to go before you head out to your polling place: dearpandemic.org/how-can-i-stay…
1/ Q: Any “information hygiene” tips for tomorrow?
A: Don’t expect resolution on election night. Fact-check (!!!). Take a purposeful pause prior to sharing information.
2/ Tomorrow’s going to be a rough day on the information frontlines. How can we prepare? Knowledge is power, and here’s what the experts* want us to know: npr.org/2020/10/31/929…
3/ 1️⃣ Brace for the possibility that we won’t know the winner for a while.
Some states’ laws allow for early processing of mail-in ballots, while others’ don’t. Differences in reporting are the result of FEDERALISM – not fraud. We should celebrate the slow lane, not disparage it.
1/ Q: I’m feeling anxious… & bored at the same time. Is this normal? Is there a solution?
A: Welcome to the paradoxical feeling of acedia – an old word used to describe that very now feeling of apathetic restlessness. Good news: There are evidence-based ways to fight back.
2/ Background:
Early Christian monks called acedia the “noonday demon” – the tough feelings you feel where you are alone, feeling listless & wonder why the day is dragging on forever. bit.ly/2Hq167u
3/ Modern author & poet Kathleen Norris (@knorriseyt) describes acedia as a feeling of restlessness, seeing the future as overwhelming & seeing the work ahead as never-ending.
Do you miss hanging out with people, yet cringe at the prospect of yet another Zoom happy hour?
1/ Q: Did a recent CDC study show that 85% of people who wear masks get COVID?
A: No. The @CDCgov study showed that close contact with people who had #COVID or visiting locations that offered on-site eating & drinking were associated with getting COVID. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6…
2/ This study does not offer any information about whether wearing a mask is a risk factor for getting #COVID19.
So where does this 85% figure come from?
3/ In the study, they also reported that 85% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 said they had worn a mask "always" or “often” & that 88.7% of those who tested negative for COVID-19 said they had worn a mask either "always" or “often”.