Thread by @MoriartyLab

Big day!!!!!!!

The new @COVID_19_Canada website is now live!

We've got a helluva lot done since we began on March 20, 2020, but we're not always great at tooting our own horns.

So, today, I will tell you about us, and most importantly, how we can help.

covid19resources.ca/about-us/

First, our work is financially supported by the @TrottierFdn @GenomeCanada and @calculquebec, with in-kind labour from @UofT @mcgillu @NRC_CNRC @OICR_news @uofg @usask.

Our partners include @CanCovid @ScienceUpFirst @labcrunch @SkeenaStrong @cactushive

Here's how we get the work done:

Our core team of 23 consists of a few paid staff plus MANY volunteers running & developing our programs. You can find them at the link below.

BTW we are still seeking volunteer regional leads for AB, BC & the North.

covid19resources.ca/about-us/

Nearly 30 additional volunteers provide support running specific programs. We're still adding names to the page, but if you don't see your name up in lights in the next few days, please tell us!

One of our initial goals at the start of the epidemic was to help #Canadian researchers to find each other, and learn who was working on what and where to find resources.

Remember the frantic chaos, the hundreds of urgent emails & DMs every day? We tried to help focus that.

We built databases of researchers with expertise relevant for #COVID19 responses, reagents, funding opportunities & funded research. You can find them chez nous & on the @CanCovid website. In parallel @CanCovid built a Slack community & seminar series to facilitate communication.

Here's the Expertise Database:

covid19resources.ca/researchers/ex…

Here are some of the many funded #Canadian #COVID19 research projects

covid19resources.ca/researchers/fu…

Our other major goal was to mobilize volunteer scientists to help with #Canadian #COVID19 responses.

And WOW did #Canadian scientists come through.... nearly 6,900 have signed up with us to date.

That's extraordinary.

phase2.covid19resources.ca/volunteers/lea…

We maintain a database of 217 initiatives & organizations across #Canada who need volunteers for #COVID19 responses, from those requiring specific scientific & technical expertise to those requiring compassion and social support from any willing Canadian.

phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/other-i…

Since @COVID_19_Canada formed we've deployed >800 people who have worked >140,000 hours supporting 40 #Canadian organizations, communities & initiatives responding to #COVID19.

More than 40% of the hours we've deployed are paid. There is huge need for scientific skills.

47% (64K) of the hours we've deployed support #COVID19 public health responses (testing, sequencing, contact tracing).

31% (42K) have gone to social & community support, from meal delivery to mental health.

14% (20K) support research.

6% (8K) support #scicomm & translation.

ANY #Canadian organization, community, initiative responding to #COVID19 can request volunteer & paid candidates here.

Try us! You'll be shocked at how many Cdns w/ skills required for C19 responses are looking for work and/or to volunteer. And by how fast we get them to you.

We have also partnered w/ @ScienceUpFirst to build searchable databases of social media & digital content any Canadian can use to push back against #COVID19 misinformation, and to recruit & coordinate volunteer experts collecting & vetting this content (ETA April-ish).

We work with volunteer experts to write, film, produce & translate Science Explained pieces about #COVID19 in multiple languages.

phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/science…

We've even started a YouTube channel to host video content youtube.com/channel/UCaJ_6…

We facilitate & support virtual kitchen table-style COVID Discussions with communities & volunteer scientists.

We provide the support communities request & need, not what scientists think is needed. We work with communities as co-experts.

phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/discuss…

One of these COVID Discussion series is The Skeena Project, a collaboration involving volunteers and community members living in and near the Skeena region of Northern BC.

You can find recordings of these episodes here:
covid19resources.ca/category/discu…

Since the beginning of January we've been hosting nightly #COVID19 Q&A Zoom sessions, as well as special daytime sessions with nursing homes, unions and other organizations.

phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/discuss…

You can request access to these nightly Zoom sessions here: phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/discuss…

And you can request special sessions for your community, in any language, here: phase2.covid19resources.ca/public/discuss…

Finally, we are very proud to say that we did all this with just over $250K of cash funding (plus so many in-kind & volunteers hours).

We are grassroots and homemade and cobbled together, but we have made a difference. We and so many others decided to act, and we changed things.