COVID-19: The Importance of Staying Informed

COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that is currently marching around the globe, is having a massive effect on people, industries, events and economies.

Although mixed messages and conspiracy theories are throwing a wrench in the works of the public health response, there is plenty of evidence-based information available for both laypeople and healthcare professionals so to stay well-informed.

For nurses and other medical providers working on the front lines, knowledge is certainly power.

When worldwide healthcare crises strike, science is the key to understanding and responding in a rational manner.

As of the time of this writing, the scope of COVID-19 has yet to have made as devastating of a health impact in Australia as it has in countries like China and Italy. That said, a smaller number of confirmed cases may not adequately reflect the actual figures due to a short supply of testing material in Australia (Kanus & Doherty 2020).

In that sense, even in a country with less confirmed cases than others, vigilance and a focus on prevention and containment are absolutely prudent.

A variety of excellent resources are regularly emerging as global health experts combine forces to inform the worldwide community about the scope of the pandemic. One example is a data-rich, interactive real-time global map of confirmed cases, deaths and other salient statistics being constantly updated by research staff at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.