Today’s blog is the third in a series of posts about COVID-19. Our first post of this series discussed general resources with reliable information about COVID-19. Our second post was all about masks. This week, we will discuss resources to help healthcare providers provide reliable information about testing, case counting, and a potential vaccine. We know you are getting a lot of questions from your patients and these sources may provide some of the answers they are looking for.
Testing
FDA: “Coronavirus Testing Basics”
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-testing-basics
- Website from the FDA for consumers. Explains diagnostic and antibody tests and the difference between the types of diagnostic tests. Also details the limitations of antigen tests, which may be useful in explaining false results.
- Presents information in multiple formats: PDF, table, narrative, and a video. This could be useful to disseminate the information to a variety of patients.
CDC “Testing for COVID-19”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html
- Explains test options in a simpler, more concise manner that FDA website. Provides a tool for patients to access whether they need testing. Also has links to other resources (steps to prevent contracting COVID, quarantine information.)
- Information presented in multiple formats: infographics, print resources, and video.
CDC Case Counting
CNN “Fact check: CDC did not add flu and pneumonia cases to its COVID-19 death count”
- Addresses social media post claiming the CDC counted flu and pneumonia deaths to the COVID-19 death count.
- Also discusses uncertainty of case counting and provisional deaths versus confirmed and probable.
About CDC COVID-19 Data
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/about-us-cases-deaths.html
- Explanation from the CDC on their case counting methodology
COVID-19 Vaccine
CHOP: “Questions and Answers about COVID-19 Vaccines”
https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/making-vaccines/prevent-covid
- Extensive resource answering questions about vaccine development, testing, safety, and availability.