Mark Rober is hilarious. If you need a good laugh...and we ALL do...then check this out. It's worth the time (and even better posted on larger screens). Happy Thursday!

In further detail...

Treat the person with respect and dignity. Listen non-judgmentally, and respect the person’s privacy and confidentiality. 

Offer consistent emotional support and understanding. In difficult times, we all need additional love and understanding. Remember to be empathetic, compassionate and patient.

Have realistic expectations. Accept the person as they are. Tough times can make it harder than usual to do everyday activities like cleaning the house, paying bills or feeding the dog.

Give the person hope. Remind your loved one that with time and treatment, they will feel better and there is hope for a more positive future.

Provide practical help. Offer help with overwhelming tasks, but be careful not to take over or encourage dependency. For example, offer to bring groceries over.

Offer information. Provide information and resources for additional support, including self-help strategies and professional help. For example:

• Self-help books based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Researchers have sought to develop a CBT-based guided self-help intervention that may prove useful for adults with intellectual disability in addition to depression or other mental health challenges for which CBT has been shown to be helpful.
• Computerized therapy. Self-help treatment programs delivered over the internet or on a computer; some are available free of charge.
• Relaxation training. Teaching a person to relax voluntarily by tensing and relaxing muscle groups; some programs are available for free online.
• Complementary therapies. Scientific studies of complementary therapies such as acupuncture, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, exercise and dietary supplements have shown that these therapies do make a difference for depression.
• Free spiritual wellness counseling, such as those offered by local churches and community groups.

• Regular hand washing (more than a quick "splish splash"--20 seconds MINIMUM)...if bar soap or commercial dispenser soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You can make your own alcohol-based sanitizer. 

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• Wear a cloth face covering or cloth mask in public spaces; when you're shopping for groceries, at work, taking a walk, etc. Especially if you are high risk, caring for someone who is infected and/or are infected and have to leave the house (for emergencies only). This is to protect you and those you come in contact with.

 

• Practice social distancing. Maintain a 6+ foot distance from people and try to avoid crowds of people, particularly in enclosed spaces. COVID-19 is highly contagious and can be spread in so many ways, including surfaces and the ground you walk on. When coughing and sneezing, do so into the crook of your arm or cover your mouth and nose and immediately wash your hands if you are in an area where you can do so.

 

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

 

• Use disinfectant and regularly clean your place of residence and workspace, if you have to work onsite. 

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• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces inclusive of but not limited to phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, tables, counter tops, light switches, doorknobs, cabinet handles, etc.

 

• Respect your state's quarantine and re-opening instructions. If not for yourself, then for others. When in doubt, self-quarantine. Make good choices in an effort to not contribute to a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Guidelines are meant to protect, not to harm.

    

• When coughing and sneezing, do so into the crook of your arm or cover your mouth and nose and immediately wash your hands if you are in an area where you can do so.

 

• If you've traveled, been exposed to one or more people with COVID-19 or are infected with COVID-19, self-quarantine 12-14 days or as directed by your doctor. 

 

• Get plenty of sleep.

 

• Try avoid/reduce stress.

 

• Telecommute and/or do not take public transportation, if at all possible.

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• PAY ATTENTION TO ANY SYMPTOMS THAT ARISE IN YOURSELF, FAMILY, FRIENDS...EVERYONE YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH. 

 

• If you feel you have contracted COVID-19, CALL your doctor first for recommendations on how to proceed.

 

• Prepare your home and family for COVID-19. This involves creating a household plan of action, establishing an emergency contact list and identify aid organizations in your community; plan ways to care for people in your life that are at a higher risk of getting very sick from this illness such as older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions; get extra supplies such as soap, tissues, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food items, and pet food...but don't hoard it; if you or a household member has a chronic condition and regularly take prescription drugs, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, and insurance provider about keeping an emergency supply of medications at home.

 

• Pay attention state and local government developments.

If you already have a confirmed case of COVID-19, the following may help to reduce your chance of spreading the disease to others:

• Quarantine yourself and proceed as specified by your doctor...though it would be wise to quarantine yourself regardless, especially if directed by your state and local government, to decrease the chance of further infection.

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• If you live with one or more other people, self-isolate to one area of your home to prevent the spread of infection.

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• Essentially everything mentioned in the last list​, as well as any other medical instructions you have received.

• Help end childhood hunger in America by donating to NoKidHungry.org.  ​

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• Have you, or someone you know, experienced a hate crime in the coronavirus response, which has especially targeted Asian communities? Report it at http://act.moveon.org/go/119174?t=14&akid=260366%2E40325046%2EN9aqI6, a site developed by Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

 

• Mental health for frontline workers: Low-cost, online services for frontline communities, including health care workers, first responders, and other essential service providers without the option of staying home.

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• Multilingual information on coronavirus: Information is available in 79 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, American Sign Language, and more.

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• Health care workers needing masks: Use MaskMatch.com to request that folks with spare N95 or surgical masks send them to you.

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• Resources for domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness: National hotlines and community tips for especially vulnerable communities, with resources for both at-risk individuals and the organizations that provide direct services to these communities. People experiencing homelessness should also refer to this website to find a shelter and other resources.

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• Undocumented and seeking health care: A guide to the health care options of undocumented community members. The National Immigration Law Center also created their guide on the rights of undocumented persons seeking health care and navigating private insurance and Medicaid.

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• Artists and members of the gig economy: Find resources, including emergency funding and community care opportunities, on this website.

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• General anxiety support: Get smart tips on managing the financial, emotional, and mental anxiety of this pandemic.

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• Tipped and service industry workers: Ask for financial support from a mutual aid fund set up by One Fair Wage.

• Send equipment to health care workers: Use MaskMatch.com to send spare N95 masks and surgical masks to individual health care workers, or use GetUsPPE.org to see what health care 

• Guide on taking care of disabled and immuno-compromised friends: Notes on equitable care from a chronically ill human in the Seattle area.

• Learn to disrupt racism: This is a skill we all need to have all the time, and developing it now will help address the rising rate of hate crimes against Asian communities we're seeing in response to the coronavirus.

• How to make masks, hand sanitizer: Several clear, step-by-step, practical guides.

• Donate to relief funds: Millions have been hit with joblessness, with vulnerable communities often receiving the hardest hit or being excluded from stimulus efforts. There are countless ways to contribute—like the linked fund to provide rent relief to undocumented communities in Seattle, this Twitter thread of queer/trans artists in the gig economy, or the One Fair Wage relief fund for tipped and service industry workers, a fund to which MoveOn members have already donated more than $100,000.

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• Consider creating your own mutual aid network: Here's a great guide to getting started, with more resources linked, and join the Mutual Aid slack network for more resources and community.

For those who want more information pertaining to global statistics, information can be found HERE on the Johns Hopkins University website.

For those who want more tailored information pertaining to the United States, that information can be found HERE (also on the Johns Hopkins University website).