Guides: Learning About COVID-19: Home

Introduction

This guide pulls together some of the sources which discuss the science behind COVID-19. As the days pass and we learn more, I will add more information to this, and hopefully more resources that will be useful in helping monitor and understand the virus.

"Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19"
This article contains research done by the National Academy of Sciences into the importance of face coverings in slowing the spread of COVID-19. It was mentioned by Lee Kats during the President's Briefing on June 15, 2020.
"Where Is God In A Pandemic?" with Francis Collins and Tim Keller
Director of the NIH and founder of BioLogos Francis Collins and Pastor Tim Keller speak on Christian issues in light of COVID-19.
"Science & Faith in Pandemic Times, with Francis Collins" video
This is a hour-long interview with Francis Collins, the director of the NIH and the founder of BioLogos, a website that promotes unity between science and Christian faith. Francis Collins answers questions about COVID-19 itself (such as its origin, what we know about it so far, and the timeline of a vaccine), and how Christians can respond to the fear and uncertainty that such a pandemic brings with it.
NY Times Coronavirus Glossary
This glossary published in an article by the New York Times was suggested by Vice Provost Lee Kats, and is very useful for understanding the terms that are commonly used as we talk about COVID-19, and the preventative measures that need to be taken to combat it.

Informative Articles

During the Pepperdine President's briefing given on April 6th, Professor Lee Kats provided several resources that he has found helpful. They are included below, as is his "COVID-19 References" page.

"Lee Kats' COVID-19 Reference page"
This is Google Doc that includes research papers and articles.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
This is a research center based from the University of Washington that focuses on global health.
The U.S. COVID-19 Atlas
Created by the Center for Spatial Data Science at the University of Chicago, this atlas provides county-level data for the spread of COVID-19 in the United States.

Marc Lipsitch is a professor of epidemiology and the director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard. Pepperdine professor and Vice Provost Lee Kats recommended articles written by him in the President's briefing given on March 23, 2020.

Free COVID-19 Research Articles

The WHO (World Health Organization) has a list of university presses and medical journals that have provided free access to their articles on COVID-19. The links to these resources are listed below.

UCLA Mathematician Terry Tao has put together a crowdsourced dataset clearing house which gathers data on the coronavirus from many different sources. They welcome further contributions to the project, and interest in the project should be directed to Terry Tao, who's contact information is included with the data in the link below. This resource was suggested for the page by Professor Courtney Davis.

Terry Tao COVID-19 Dataset Clearinghouse
"Polymath Proposal" by Terry Tao
This short article includes more information about the project.

Staying Informed

These are all reputable websites that are commonly consulted for reliable information about the COVID-19 virus. They all share similar attributes, but present information from different perspectives as the virus affects Los Angeles, the USA, and the world.

CDC COVID-19
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has excellent information on how to protect yourself from COVID-19, as well as information on the spread of the virus.
WHO COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to keep everyone up to date with the progression of COVID-19. Their website includes updates, travel advice, answers to common questions, and some myth-busters (for example, eating garlic won't protect you from the virus).
Johns Hopkins University COVID-19
Johns Hopkins University is at the front of research on COVID-19. Their site about the virus includes maps and statistics that track the increase of the virus around the globe.
ECDC COVID-19
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is a very valuable resource for learning how the situation is evolving in Europe, and globally. This site contains information on COVID-19, a list of publications, and a global update.
Worldometer COVID-19
Suggested by Professor Javier Monzon, this resource provides information COVID-19 statistics (demographics, patients with pre-existing conditions, etc), and information about the virus in each country.
"Prevention and Control of COVID-19" ebook
The Shanghai COVID-19 Medical Treatment Expert Team have edited this guide for controlling and preventing COVID-19. It covers when to do in most scenarios to protect yourself (home, work, etc.), discusses pets and the virus, how to disinfect what you come in contact with, and much more. World Scientific is currently allowing free access to this ebook. After clicking the link here in the InfoGuide, click "Full Book View" to access this resource.

The following entries are specifically for information in Los Angeles.

"Here's Where You Can Get Tested For The Coronavirus In Los Angeles County"
This article from the Los Angeles Times lists places where testings for COVID-19 are happening. For now, these tests are being limited to those who are considered at-risk. This article was published on April 3rd- if it is updated, this link will also be updated.
City of Los Angeles COVID-19
The City of Los Angeles has an information page that contains updates about COVID-19 in LA, and also information on getting tested.
LA Department of Public Health
The LA Department of Public Health has information on the spread of COVID-19 in LA, and information on social distancing, what to do if you're sick, and frequently asked questions.
LA Times: Tracking COVID-19 in California
The LA Times is tracking the spread of COVID-19 in California. It includes a breakdown of the cases in each county. This resources was suggested by Professor Courtney Davis.
SALUS- The Crisis Hub
The Homeland Security Advisory Council at the School of Public Policy has created a map that has up-to-date information on public services available in the greater Los Angeles area. These services include grab and go food centers, temporary shelters, and handwashing stations.

Mental Health During Quarantine

Taking care of mental health during these uncertain times, especially while many people are isolated in their homes. The following websites and articles are meant to be useful resources for handling mental health questions or concerns.

Q&A on COVID-19 and Mental Health with WHO
This is a 40 minute video that takes the form of a Q&A session with Aiysha Malik, a mental health expert with WHO. Most of the video revolves around Malik answering questions of people around the world, which cover managing fear and stigma, talking with children and elderly parents about COVID-19, and much more.
"Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks"
This is a blog post written for the American Psychiatric Association.
"Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak"
This article was written for SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
"How Scared Should I Be of the Coronavirus?"
This article discusses how to manage anxiety and distress during COVID-19. Even though it is an older article (originally published on February 29th, 2020), the strategies for coping with anxiety is still useful.

Twitter

These are some different Twitter accounts that will be helpful as we learn more about the virus.

Health Tips

Proper Handwashing
This is a source originally for Certified Nursing Assistants about how to properly wash hands. This is a page which covers the how, when, and why of hand washing.
"3 DIY Face Masks" by Survival Know How (YouTube video)
In light of LA County's advice to wear face coverings in public, it seemed like some instruction on how to make face coverings at home would be useful. Below is the link to a video posted on YouTube by Survival Know How that covers how to make single-use masks from paper towels, and reusable masks from T-shirts and bandanas. If you don't like either of the options given in this video, YouTube provides dozens of other videos that show how to make masks from pretty much anything. Some require sewing, and some do not.