#COVID19 – “Living In A Ghost Town”
April 25, 2020
Rapid Response proposal to halt the #COVID19 outbreak in Nairobi Slums
June 14, 2020
World Health Communication Associates (WHCA) & INSPIRIT Creatives UG NGO,
MediaWise and MediaFocusUK
Strengthening connections
while keeping distance
News You Can Use
We are all vulnerable to this virus. This is a unique time for our communities all over the world as we work to combat this massive global threat. This blog aims to collect and share your stories and reflections that can help others to cope, thrive and build resilience…
Our communities are at different stages of response in different parts of the world. We can learn a lot from each other. Building on World Health Organization and other evidence-based guidance, this blog will gather and disseminate stories that inform, inspire and hopefully strengthen social connectiveness while we all practice physical distancing.
We invite you to contribute. At present we are looking for stories in the following areas:
May the force be with all of us.
Sabrina, Mike, Steve, Tuuli and Franklin for the Connecting Communities team
BLOG: https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/coronavirus-connecting-communities
Email: cccov19@gmail.com
See: https://www.whcaonline.org | https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/humanity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12385075/ | Twitter: @connecting_comm
News: https://cccovid19.org/corona_virus/
| Disclaimer – We try to include stories that respect World Health Organisation COVID19 guidance. Links take you to full published stories. Our Connecting Communities team screens and selects stories but can not guarantee accuracy of reporting and mentions of any products does not indicate endorsement. |
While we grieve for the tremendous loss of lives in so many countries, we can see and feel that the need to connect communities and share learning grows everyday. Please attach your comments and stories to this blog or send them to cccov19@gmail.com or attach them to this blog. We welcome stories in all languages and from all countries. Here are some first examples of stories and links. Send us yours and make this blog useful.
Insights on risk dis-equities grows
While everyone is vulnerable to CORONA Virus, risks are not equal. As we learn more about COVID-19 we are seeing that not only age with multiple medical conditions makes people more vulnerable but a host of other factors related to ethnicity, gender, living conditions, confinements, poverty, access to protective equipment, etc . shape relative risks. As we develop strategies to ‘shield the vulnerable ‘as we re-open services addressing differential risks will be key.
Isolation tips – what are you doing to make this a healthier, less stressful and more positive time?
Diary keeping – Mike Jempson
Check out My Self-Isolation Diary on the website.
Mike Jempson – ‘Interesting but irrelevant’
DAY 53: Tues 5 May
Books, bunting, disappointment and noisy chickens
Today is Saturday, isn’t it. Isn’t it?
Whichever day, I did manage to get 45 minutes exercise in this morning on my ‘home gym’ while listening to some harrowing COVID19 stories on the radio.
I was going through my books looking for the next one to read to my grandsons, and found some forgotten gems…
But when I Skype grandsons 1 & 2 they quickly lose interest in what I have to say, and lark around with their ipad, which is not just distracting but makes it impossible to concentrate. I go silent, and they direct the screen at the ceiling, and it freezes. So the session ends early, but they have chosen their books, and I order them. As I do so I realise I have suddenly become despondent. It is as if I have been rejected, I had been so looking forward to chatting about books and a fun session, but it never happened. It made me realise how important these ‘distant meetings are for me. In fact story time is probably at least as important for me as it is for them. It is human contact but it is also a nice way of feeling that you can be useful when so many normal options are not open to you. Luckily my spirits are boosted by a message from a colleague in Belarus asking if I can do some Skype talks for young members of the Belarus Association of Journalists <https://baj.by/en>, and maybe follow it up with a session in Lithuania when lockdown ends…
Hygiene behavior helpers– what are you doing to keep you and your family safe from Corona infection?
Sabrina- reflections:
Hygiene Helpers
Being a compulsive hygiene freak, aka hygiene OCD, the COVID19 hygiene measures sound like (well known) music to my ears. My main rule has always been and still is that by living by a personal and careful hygiene habit/behaviour you protect not only yourself but also the others – always think of who comes after you.
My ideal hygienized world is not one in which we should all wear masks or gloves (although there may be specific circumstances where this may be necessary) but rather, a world where:
Whether in private or public spaces
All people given the basic living conditions (access to water and housing)
- wash their hands thoroughly (without leaving the tap running and wasting water) every time after they use the toilet (public or private), deal with food, serve themselves from a buffet and when they come home from work, shopping or outside activities
- take off their shoes and work clothes when they come home and put on some comfortable (schmata-ish) house clothes;
- de-clutter houses so they are easily cleanable;
- regularly clean especially sinks, showers, bathes and toilets; and,
In Health facilities (hospitals, clinics, etc.)
- you can see your doctor /nurse in a clean uniform/gown and witness them washing their hands in front of you before examining you, sticking a needle in your veins or a flexible scope in your privates;
- hospitals and other health service offices would ensure that health workers would have their uniforms professionally cleaned and sanitized daily (at appropriate temperatures, etc) ;and,
- health workers could enter /exit hospital premises through dedicated corridors and have changing rooms to protect the health of patients and staff and maintain the level of hygiene in the rest of the hospital.
Hopefully our learning from new COVID19- related behaviours will help realise these aims.
Tuuli- reflections:
How to adapt to the new freedoms and stay safe?
Misconception: With relaxing rules COVID19 is not a threat anymore
Truth: The virus is still among us. There is no vaccine or medicine to treat the infection. „While lockdown restrictions are loosened in many countries, the amount of new cases is rising with it. For the safety for yourself and others, spiking up safety measures, such as: wearing mask in supermarkets, other stores and in public transport and vigorous use of hand sanitizers and disposable cloves become even more essential, among continuing of washing hands. When meeting with friends who are outside your own family or household, it is advisable to keep the distance. Going out for a walk, or bike ride might be better idea than meeting people inside their homes.”
The argument for Masks
The Arguments Against Wearing a Mask Make No Sense
https://medium.com/@danvineberg/the-arguments-against-wearing-a-mask-make-no-sense-93f4f7c961fe
Community actions – what are you and your neighbours doing to help each other?
Solidarity through Isolation
“…Aristotle was right. Humans have never been atomized individuals, but rather social beings whose every decision affects other people. And now the COVID-19 pandemic is driving home this fundamental point: each of us is morally responsible for the infection risks we pose to others through our own behavior.”
Working remotely – how are you making new work realities productive?
Best aspects of working from home
Virtual classrooms – how are you learning and training from home?
On line Ramadan school
Public Policies – what policies are easing your burden?
Reopening Jurassic Park
“…Now, I understand why some people might be skeptical about reopening an amusement park when there are still blindingly fast, 180-pound predators roaming around. But the fact of the matter is, velociraptors are intelligent, shifty creatures that are not going to be contained any time soon, so we might as well just start getting used to them killing a few people every now and then. “
Maintaining essential services – what is being done to keep food, mail, delivery, water, gas, telephone, internet, sanitation function well in your community?
US starts reopening services- a patchwork picture
As states across the country take their first steps to reopen, one pattern emerges: a patchwork of approaches with each region taking a different path.
Visit to the Dentist – What to expect
Tuuli Sauren
Some of the unexpected events during Corona Pandemic can include fracture of the tooth. While regular check-ups can wait, this kind of event can’t.
Half an hour before the appointment, I put on my surgical masks and drove to the dental clinic. The first thing my dentist asked me to do was to wipe my shoes outside on disinfectant towel. After I slipped on disposable shoe protections, like the ones we are using while visiting a swimming pool or other non-shoes areas. This was followed by hand washing.
Before we started to speak, I rinsed my mouth with Isobetadine mouth wash, to limit the number of bacteria’s and possible virus, I might have. My dentist was wearing a full PPE during the treatment. After the treatment was finished, I put my surgical mask back on. Paid and left the shoe protections to the doorsteps.
Did you know, that because of the aerosols used in the treatment room, the room must have ½ hour to let the aerosols settle between two patients? My Dentist has two treatment rooms and lets the room used to rest minimum of one hour in between. I felt very safe visiting her. As an afterthought, how do we do this in our own homes? Do you remove your shoes outside your front door? There are many things we still don’t do, but we should because the Corona virus is staying alive in the streets, store floors, Pharmacies and everywhere else. It takes one sneeze or a cough from asymptomatic person to contaminate the surfaces. Relaxing Lock-down measures, mean that our alert level must become even more vigilant. Asymptomatic people can have allergies, making innocent sneeze or cough dangerous.
Health Care – how are you as health worker managing, what are you doing to protect yourself and others, what innovations seem promising?
Corona Virus and Africa
“…The view that all Africans think the same way and that all African countries will suffer the same fate is deeply rooted in colonial ideology, which dismisses an entire continent as inherently backward and dysfunctional.
The legacy of colonialism has perpetuated the lie that Black bodies are to be pitied and to exclusively be the recipients of aid. Is it possible for African people to be regarded as experts rather than passive victims?
The problem with the UNECA and Gates’s projections of the impact COVID-19 will have on the African continent is that they strip African countries of their agency and redirect focus on providing charity rather than supporting already existing and well-functioning epidemiological responses.”
24 hours at the epicentre of NewYork Corona Outbreak
A chance to be part of next steps towards solutions – Become a COVID-19 Contact TRACER
This course will train an army of contact tracers. You can take it, too.
Previous Posts:
25.4.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-living-in-a-ghost-town/
20.4.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-take-the-pledge/
17.04.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-life-after-easter/
12.04.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-the-unforgettable-easter/
09.04.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-placing-people-to-the-center/
05.04.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-social-justice-equality-results-to-unity/
01.04.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-truthful-communication/
29.03.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/covid19-staying-a-live-stay-inside/
26.03.2020
#COVID19 – Strengthening communities while keeping distance
22.03.2020
Strengthening connections while keeping distance
#COVID19 – Stories around the World
18.03.2020
https://www.inspiritcreatives.com/coronavirus-connecting-communities/