Flooding
In May, the American Flood Coalition and APHA released “A Dual Disaster Handbook: Six Recommendations for Local Leaders Responding to Floods During COVID-19.” The free resource is designed to help local officials and emergency managers address the concurrent disasters of flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic. For information, visit https://floodcoalition.org.
Loneliness
In April, Harper Wave published “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World,” by Vivek Murthy, MD, former U.S. surgeon general. The book explores loneliness as a public health issue. For information, visit https://www.vivekmurthy.com/together-book.
COVID-19 investigations
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published “Health Departments: Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Plan.” The document is intended to assist state, local, territorial and tribal health departments develop plans for COVID-19 case investigations and contact tracing efforts. For information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Contact tracing ethics
In May, Johns Hopkins University released “Digital Contract Tracing for Pandemic Response.” The report highlights the ethical, legal, policy and governance issues associated with digital contract tracing technologies. The report is intended to help people deploying digital tracing technology make responsible decisions. For information, visit https://muse.jhu.edu.
Reopening guidance
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a series of consideration documents for schools, restaurants, bars, summer camps and more in the wake of COVID-19. The documents provide a framework for businesses and organizations to operate safely as stay-at-home recommendations are eased. For information, visit bit.ly/cdcreopeningdocs.
Osteoarthritis
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arthritis Foundation and Osteoarthritis Action Alliance released “A National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis: 2020 Update.” The plan addresses osteoarthritis and its rising health impact and economic consequences. The agenda updates a 2010 plan on the topic. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/arthritis.
Contact tracing training
Johns Hopkins University and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials are offering online contract tracing courses. Johns Hopkins University is offering a free class through Coursera, and ASTHO is offering a free course in conjunction with the National Coalition of STD Directors. Both courses are beginner’s level and have no pre-requirements. For information, visit www.astho.org and www.coursera.org.
Global health
In May, The Lancet introduced The Lancet Regional Health, a new series of open-access journals. Over two years, the six journals will each focus on one region of the world — encompassing the Western Pacific, Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe and Southeast Asia — publishing evidence-based research articles. For more information, visit www.thelancet.com/regional-health.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
