
updated:
March 03, 2021
-
How a Changing Virus Is Reshaping Scientists’ Views on
COVID-19: March 3 (Reuters) — Chris Murray, a University
of Washington disease expert…is changing his assumptions
about the course of the pandemic.…But in the last month,
data from a vaccine trial in South Africa showed not only
that a rapidly-spreading coronavirus variant could dampen
the effect of the vaccine, it could also evade natural
immunity in people who had been previously infected.
-
New Rapid Expert Consultation Offers Strategies for
Navigating Disaster Response, Evacuation, and Sheltering
Complicated by COVID-19 (National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine)
-
New Orleans Archdiocese: Catholics Should Seek Ethical
Alternatives to Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: NEW ORLEANS,
La. — …The pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute had
determined that the vaccine used abortion-derived cell lines
in design and development, production, and lab testing. The
New Orleans archdiocese on Feb. 26 stated that the vaccine
was “morally compromised” because of its connection with
abortion. However, the two other available COVID-19 vaccines
are “morally acceptable,” the archdiocese said, while also
not prohibiting Catholics from receiving the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine if no other ethical alternative is
available.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak
Situation Maps:
-
Redesigned:
Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center: Includes links to
the
World Map, new
COVID-19 United States Cases by County Map &
Explore Critical Trends, all in one easy to use location.
-
COVID Risk Levels Dashboard:
How severe is the pandemic where you live? To help cut through
the noise and sometimes conflicting advice, a network of
research, policy and public health experts convened by Harvard’s
Global Health Institute and Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
today launches a Key Metrics For COVID Suppression framework
that provides clear, accessible guidance to policy makers and
the public on how to target and suppress COVID-19 more
effectively across the nation.
-
COVID-19 Case Mapper
(Big Local News): Find COVID-19 case data for any state and
county. Search by ZIP Code or County name – Export & Embed
code. Created to make it possible for local journalists to
easily embed up-to-date visualizations related to the
coronavirus pandemic on their sites for readers, and free up
time for other important local journalism.
-
Ohio's COVID-19 County Dashboard:
Displays the most recent preliminary data reported to the Ohio
Department of Health (ODH) about cases, hospitalizations and
deaths in Ohio by selected demographics and county of residence.
Data is reported to ODH via the Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS).
- NY Times:
Tracking Every Coronavirus Case in the U.S.: Full Map.
Center for Disease Control (CDC):
-
CDC Updates Coronavirus Face Mask Guidance, Endorses 'Double
Masking': The CDC updated its mask guidance on Wednesday to
include data from a lab experiment using simulated respiratory
breaths that found placing a cloth mask over a medical procedure
mask or using a medical procedure mask with knotted ear loops
and tucked in sides decreased exposure to potentially infectious
aerosols by about 95%.
-
CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Covers What You Should
Know, Situation Updates, Information For and Latest news on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
-
Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (CDC): mRNA vaccines
teach our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of
a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what
protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our
bodies.
-
CDC: When Vaccine is Limited, Who Gets Vaccinated First?
(1/5/2021): CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine
be allocated in Phase 1A to healthcare personnel and
long-term care facility residents. Phase 1B: Frontline
essential workers such as fire fighters, police officers,
corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States
Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store
workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the
educational sector (teachers, support staff, and daycare workers).
And, people aged 75 years and older because they are at high risk of
hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19. People aged 75
years and older who are also residents of long-term care facilities
should be offered vaccination in Phase 1A. Phase 1C: People
aged 65—74 years because they are at high risk of hospitalization,
illness, and death from COVID-19. People aged 65—74 years who are
also residents of long-term care facilities should be offered
vaccination in Phase 1a. People aged 16—64 years with underlying
medical conditions which increase the risk of serious,
life-threatening complications from COVID-19. Other essential
workers, such as people who work in transportation and logistics,
food service, housing construction and finance, information
technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and
public health.
-
CDC Recommends People Wear Masks Indoors When Not at Home:
The agency is urging "universal mask use" indoors for the first
time as the country shatters records for coronavirus
hospitalizations and deaths ahead of the holiday season. The new
guidance, published Friday (12/4/2020), asks people to put on
masks anywhere outside their homes.
COVID-19 Guidelines for Personal and Social Activities (CDC):
Includes dining at a restaurant, hosting gatherings or
cook-outs, attending an event or gathering, using gyms or
fitness centers.
CDC Guidelines: Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings (Updated
Dec. 11, 2020): As cases, hospitalizations, and deaths
continue to increase across the United States, the safest way to
celebrate the winter holidays is to celebrate at home with
people who live with you. Gatherings with family and friends who
do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or
spreading COVID-19 or the flu.
CDC: Considerations for Events and Gatherings. CDC offers the following
considerations for enhancing protection of individuals and communities and
preventing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
How COVID-19 Spreads (CDC) – updated October 5, 2020. COVID-19 can
sometimes be spread by airborne transmission.
CDC: Colleges, Universities, and Higher Learning – Plan,
Prepare, and Respond. Considerations for operating
institutes of higher education | Cleaning and disinfection
guidance | Covers Health Considerations and Tools | Information
to Plan, Prepare, and Respond | Communication Resources |
Guidance for student travel | FAQs for administrators.
CDC: Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public
Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.
Reopening America requires all of us to move forward together by
practicing social distancing and other daily habits to reduce
our risk of exposure to the virus that causes
COVID-19.…This plan…focuses on cleaning and disinfecting public
spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools, and can also be applied
to your home.
15 Days to Slow the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19):
The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America
CDC: How to Protect Yourself & Others From COVID-19
Watch for Symptoms
COVID-19: Coronavirus Watch for Symptoms (CDC)
About Quarantine and Isolation (CDC): Isolation and
quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to
people who have or may have a contagious disease. Isolation separates sick people with a contagious
disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were
exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
Caring for Someone at Home with COVID-19 (CDC)
Cleaning And Disinfecting Your Home (CDC): Everyday Steps
and Extra Steps When Someone Is Sick
About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – CDC: There
is an ongoing investigation to determine more about this
outbreak. This is a rapidly evolving situation and
information will be updated as it becomes available.
Keeping Workplaces, Homes, Schools, or Commercial
Establishments Safe — White House Coronavirus Task Force
CDC: Plan, Prepare and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Institutions of
Higher Education.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and
Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
CDC: Interim Infection Prevention and Control
Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus
Disease 2019
Prevention Steps for Close Contacts: If you have had close
contact2 with someone who is confirmed to have, or being
evaluated for, Coronavirus infection.
Travel Related Information about Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19)
– CDC.
When and How to Wash Your Hands (CDC). Hand washing is one
of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from
getting sick. Learn when and how you should wash your hands to
stay healthy.
CDC: How to Remove Gloves Correctly. To protect
yourself, use the following steps to take off gloves.
CDC Mobile App: Important Public Health Information
24/7. Download it free today on iOS or Android. Check top
left corner for Menu.
Johns Hopkins Hospital:
Moral & Ethical Questions about the
COVID-19 Vaccines:
-
New Orleans Archdiocese: Catholics Should Seek Ethical
Alternatives to Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: NEW ORLEANS,
La. — …The pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute had
determined that the vaccine used abortion-derived cell lines
in design and development, production, and lab testing. The
New Orleans archdiocese on Feb. 26 stated that the vaccine
was “morally compromised” because of its connection with
abortion. However, the two other available COVID-19 vaccines
are “morally acceptable,” the archdiocese said, while also
not prohibiting Catholics from receiving the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine if no other ethical alternative is
available.
-
"Ways to Protest Morally-tainted Vaccines-and Why" by
Dr. Jeff Mirus, Jan 19, 2021
-
"How to Object to an Abortion-Tainted COVID-19 Vaccine"
by Stacy Trasancos, December 21, 2020. The Pontifical
Academy for Life has said that Catholics may use, in a
narrowly defined limit, vaccines prepared with cell lines
derived from aborted children, but with strong warnings
regarding our obligation to protest. Here's how to demand
ethical options in biomedical research.
-
The Morality of the COVID-19 Vaccines (NCR) by Janet E.
Smith, Ph.D. (12/24/2020): "If morally unproblematic
alternatives were available, one should refuse anything produced
or tested using cell lines made from aborted fetuses for the
sake of honoring the inherent dignity of the aborted victim. The
question remains, is it always and everywhere wrong for a
person, to avail themselves of this benefit if no alternatives
are available?"
-
Catholic Conscience and the COVID-19 Vaccine
(CRISIS) by
Annamaria Cardinally 1/19/2021: "Yet, the Catholic conscience is
resilient, if often misunderstood, sometimes even by those who
possess it—and most certainly by the world. It bears two features
which are especially misconstrued. First, it can not ask less than
what the Church requires, but it can ask more. For instance, one
person may feel bound to heroic charity in a situation where another
does not. Second, in order to function at all, the conscience must
be formed (and informed) by truth — the truth of Christ Himself and
an accurate understanding of the surrounding world. Otherwise, we
don’t have a conscience to follow, but simply our own inclinations."
Must Catholics Refuse a Covid-19 Vaccine Made with a Cell Line from an
Abortion? The Catholic Spirit | Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk | December
10, 2020. In the wake of announcements from multiple pharmaceutical
companies about safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, many are
expressing ethical doubts about whether it is OK to take these vaccines.
Do Catholics have a moral duty to decline an inoculation if it was
unethically produced using a cell line that came from an abortion? The
short answer is "no."
What You Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccines (Charlotte Lozier
Institute (CLI)): David Prentice, Ph.D., Tara Sander Lee, Ph.D. |
December 8, 2020. Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) has published a new
chart detailing whether the eight leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates
supported by Operation Warp Speed are produced or tested using cells
derived from abortions. The vaccine candidates evaluated are those
produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson,
Novavax, Sanofi/GSK, Inovio, and Merck.
Vatican Publishes Note on Moral Acceptability of Using COVID-19
Vaccines: A note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, which was approved by Pope Francis, gives the green
light during the pandemic to the use of vaccines produced with
cell lines derived from two fetuses aborted in the 1960s.
COVID Vaccines and Fetal Tissues: the Moral Calculus (CatholicCulture):
Phil Lawler, Dec 04, 2020. Should Catholics accept a vaccine
that has been developed using fetal tissue from abortions? Since
Catholic moralists have expressed contradictory answers to this
question, let me try to offer a bit of clarity.
Four Pro-Life Medical Groups Say Pfizer, Moderna COVID Vaccines
Not Made With Aborted Baby Cells: In a statement, the
Catholic Medical Association, the American Association of
Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College
of Pediatricians and the Christian Medical and Dental
Associations said the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna did not
use cells from aborted babies in their production phases, the
Catholic News Agency reports.
Catholic Health Association of the United
States:
MyCatholicDoctor:
-
MyCatholicDoctor.com: Coronavirus. What you need to know
about Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
-
The Catholic Answer to Vaccines (MyCatholicDoctor): What is
the Catholic teaching on vaccination? Are some vaccines related
to abortion? What about the coronavirus/COVID vaccine? This
article summarizes official Roman Catholic teaching on
vaccination with references to the original documents.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center:
-
The National Catholic Bioethics Center: Conducts research,
consultation, publishing and education to promote human dignity
in health care and the life sciences, and derives its message
directly from the teachings of the Catholic Church.
United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
The White House:
World Health Organization (WHO):
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA):
-
COVID-19: What You Need to Know – Infectious Diseases
Society of America (IDSA): the latest COVID-19 developments
providing links to guidance from government health authorities
and the World Health Organization, journal articles and more.
Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation
Environmental Protection Agency:
American College Health
Association (ACHA):
Journal of Internal Medicine:
-
Those with Mild Coronavirus Experience Loss of Taste, Smell in 86%
of Cases (Journal of Internal Medicine): "[Olfactory
dysfunction] is more prevalent in mild COVID-19 forms than in
moderate-to-critical forms," the researchers said in the study,
noting that according to their research, 75% to 85% of people
regained their ability to taste and smell two months after their
infection, while 95% of patients regained their ability to taste
and smell at six months.
Mayo Clinic:
Medline Plus:
Military Health System:
-
Military Health System
–
Coronavirus: DOD will closely
coordinate with our interagency partners to ensure accurate and
timely information is available and encourage all appropriate
measures are taken to limit the virus' spread.
National Institutes of Health:
National Safety Council:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
– OSHA:
Public Health Emergency: Mission of
the HHS Office
-
Public Health Emergency: The mission of the HHS Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health
security threats.
Scripps Research:
-
Mutated Coronavirus Shows Significant Boost in Infectivity
(Scripps Research): COVID-19-causing viral variant taking over
in the United States and Europe now carries more functional,
cell-binding spikes. A tiny genetic mutation in the SARS
coronavirus 2 variant circulating throughout Europe and the
United States significantly increases the virus’ ability to
infect cells, lab experiments performed at Scripps Research
show.
U of Minnesota’s Center for
Infectious Disease Research:
-
CIDRP Novel Coronavirus Resource Center:
U of Minnesota’s Center for
Infectious Disease Research and Policy new online resource center to
educate the public about the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19.
Ohio Department of Health:
-
COVID-19 – Ohio Department of Health: Everything you need to know to
prepare for, and protect yourself from Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19). Information for Families and Individuals |Healthcare
Providers and Local Health Districts | Employers and Employees.
-
Ohio Statewide Mask Order Beginning on Thursday, July 23, at 6:00 p.m.
Governor DeWine announced that a statewide mask mandate will go into
effect for citizens living in all 88 Ohio counties beginning on
Thursday, July 23, at 6:00 p.m.,
-
Ohio COVID-19 Travel Advisory — Protecting Against COVID-19 (Created
July 22, 2020). Those entering Ohio after travel to states reporting
positive testing rates of 15% or higher for COVID-19 are advised to
self-quarantine for 14 days.
-
Ohio's Public Health Advisory Alert System: a color-coded system
designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a data-driven
framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and
empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and
others in their response and actions.
-
OH Gov. Dewine’s Stay At Home Order Frequently Asked Questions.
Washington - Dept. of Health:
Yale Environmental Health & Safety:
Inside Higher Ed:
-
A Generation Defined by the Pandemic (InsideHigherEd): A new survey
about student experiences during the fall semester and the coronavirus
pandemic found that stress, anxiety and loneliness were their overriding
concern.
-
Scenario Planning for Coronavirus (InsideHigherEd):
Frequently used in military situations, it can help college and
university leaders during this uncertain time, writes Paul N.
Friga, who presents a high-level scenario analysis and some
recommended actions.
-
Coronavirus and Higher Education (InsideHigherEd): Roundup of
news about how higher education is coping with initial U.S. impacts
of the coronavirus outbreak, and how colleges are preparing for a
dizzying array of likely disruptions.
-
What Katrina Taught Us About Online Delivery (InsideHigherEd),
March 11, 2020. In 2005, more than 120 U.S. universities came to
the aid of some 20 colleges and universities that had been
impacted by Hurricane Katrina through shared online classes.
There is much discussion now about continuing the delivery of
the curriculum in instances where the new coronavirus may
disrupt traditional campus offerings.
CNN:
-
I’ve Had My Covid-19 Vaccine — Now What Can I Safely Do?
Sandee LaMotte, CNN Health | February 3, 2021. Read on for answers
from the experts on top questions such as when can you stop
wearing a mask, eat inside a restaurant, travel, go to sporting
events and concerts, and freely visit friends and family.
FORBES:
NBC Health News:
-
What is the coronavirus? Here's what we know about it.
Here's what to know about the new
Coronavirus, which causes a disease called COVID-19.
-
Coronavirus Self-Quarantine 101 (NBC): According to NBC
News, quarantine means "physically separating a person." It's
less severe than isolation, which may be done in a hospital and
may last longer. Under quarantine you can still interact with
your family and move around your home.
New York Times:
-
The Coronavirus Outbreak (NY Times): Providing free access
to the most important news and useful guidance on the
coronavirus outbreak to help readers understand the pandemic.
Reuters:
-
How a Changing Virus Is Reshaping Scientists’ Views on COVID-19:
March 3 (Reuters) — Chris Murray, a University of Washington
disease expert…is changing his assumptions about the course of
the pandemic.…But in the last month, data from a vaccine trial
in South Africa showed not only that a rapidly-spreading
coronavirus variant could dampen the effect of the vaccine, it
could also evade natural immunity in people who had been
previously infected.
National Association of Manufacturers –
NAM:
-
Coronavirus Resources (National Association of Manufacturers –
NAM): Includes Federal Government Response | OSHA Employee
Health and Safety | DHS Pandemic Planning | Customs and Border
Protection.
Mental Health & Wellness:
-
Pope Francis: Urbi et Orbi Blessing in Light of Coronavirus.
Pope Francis on March 27, 2020, asked of the world the question
Jesus asked of the apostles who cowered in fear in a
storm-seized boat on the Sea of Galilee: "Why are you afraid?
Have you no faith?"
Watch Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi amid coronavirus pandemic (EWTN).
-
‘FACE COVID’: How to respond effectively to the Corona crisis by
Dr Russ Harris (PDF). ‘FACE COVID’ is a set of practical
steps for responding effectively to the Corona crisis, using the
principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
-
"Between panic and disregard: How to find prudence," Fr.
Brian Cavanaugh, TOR | Aleteia | March 25, 2020. For those of us
in the "elderly" category, we have to make sure our precautions
aren’t causing extra harm.
-
Boxed In: COVID-19 and Your Mental Health (EverydayHealth): Experts
share their insights on managing mental and emotional health in the shadow
of the coronavirus pandemic.
-
COVID-19 and Coping with Anxiety: In the age of COVID, we have so many
unknowns swirling around us, which complicates things further for those of
us with anxiety.
-
COVID-19 — Substance Abuse, and Addiction Treatment in the United States:
The ongoing global pandemic, government lockdowns, job loss, financial
stress, and lack of access to support resources have contributed to
increased problems with substance abuse and addiction.
Miscellaneous:
-
New Rapid Expert Consultation Offers Strategies for Navigating
Disaster Response, Evacuation, and Sheltering Complicated by
COVID-19 (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine)
-
Coronavirus Small Business Issues and
Solutions Guide (Chamber of Commerce): In order to aid and inform owners of
small businesses, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to coronavirus
issues and solutions.
-
'Half-Masking' May Increase Coronavirus Risk: A study out of
the University of North Carolina (UNC) published in the journal
Cell suggested the novel coronavirus tends to first penetrate
and infect the nasal cavity and in some cases can be aspirated
into the lungs, where it can progress to pneumonia.
-
How Can I Spot Misinformation about the Coronavirus and
COVID-19? (University of Toronto Libraries): The next time
someone shares a COVID-19 ‘fact’ via text or social media,
verify it before you share it!
-
How COVID-19 Affects the Mental Health of Seniors: If you
are in the 65 and up age group it has probably limited your
social interaction even more than others. These extra
precautions the elderly have to take has affected their mental
health and feelings of loneliness more than usual.
- CHICAGO (Reuters) –
Scientists Just Beginning to Understand the Many Health Problems
Caused by COVID-19 – June 26, 2020: Scientists are only
starting to grasp the vast array of health problems caused by
the novel coronavirus, some of which may have lingering effects
on patients and health systems for years to come, according to
doctors and infectious disease experts.
-
"The Sober Math Everyone Must Understand about the Pandemic":
Jason S Warner, March 16, 2020. Issue One: Social Norms
Are Powerful Motivators and Getting in the Way of People Taking
the Right Steps in Response to the Pandemic: One of the current
problems with addressing the pandemic is the social pressures of
taking action today. It’s awkward, and feels like an
over-reaction. The reason it feels like an overreaction is that
most people OVERWEIGHT the currently reported cases and
inherently UNDERWEIGHT the mathematics of how the virus is
spreading and what will happen in about 30 days time. This is
because our brains tend to think linearly as opposed to
logarithmically.
-
Air Purifiers & Coronavirus (Alen Corp Blog) March 13, 2020.
A straightforward look at the complexities of capturing viruses.
With the global outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many
are wondering whether air purifiers can help combat airborne
viruses.
COVID-19
& Resources for Spiritual Nourishment
|