According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China and has since spread all over the world.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
There is such an inundation of information all over the internet when it comes to COVID-19, but how do you know what information you can trust and which resources are reliable? That’s where Federal agencies can help.
Below is a collection of reliable resources you can trust. Information ranging from COVID-19 symptoms to look for to proper handwashing techniques is available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a comprehensive website with information such as:
- How to protect yourself
- What to do if you think you are sick
- Symptoms
- Disinfecting your home
- Cases in the U.S. by state
- Travel resources
- And much more
They also offer this Factsheet: COVID-19 and You, and well as ‘Cases in the United States,’ which includes statistics on cases, deaths, information by state, and more. The site is updated regularly at noon, Monday – Friday.
Since one of the main ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is thorough hand-washing, the CDC also presents the handwashing tutorial, Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of information available from the U.S. Government.
Rely on govinfo.gov for the latest legislation and Presidential documents concerning COVID-19.
Here are some additional reliable resources.
- MedlinePlus information on the Coronavirus
- The White House’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America
- Resources from the National Institutes of Health on the Coronavirus
- Clinical trials for the Coronavirus
- Information on Coronavirus for pregnant women and children
- Government Response to Coronavirus:
- S. Department of State information for Travelers
- S. Food & Drug Administration on COVID-19
- S. Environmental Protection Agency on COVID-19
- S. Department of Agriculture on COVID-19
- Coronavirus Scams from the Federal Trade Commission
- S. Department of Defense Response to the Coronavirus
- Coronavirus Tax Relief from the Internal Revenue Service
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact to the Transportation Security Administration
- Federal Aviation Administration Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
GPO is happy to help share these dependable resources as part of our mission of Keeping America Informed. Stay informed, and stay safe.
For the these resources, click on the links above in this blog post.