Jeff, can you help make a public health message go viral?

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff and other tech savvy folks,
I am a public health professional with no power or influence, but I think there are a few key messages that need to be communicated to the public regarding Covid-19. I have heard of some medical clinics sending an email to all of their patients requesting that they CALL before they come into the clinic if they are experiencing symptoms consistent with an upper respiratory infection. This is so important as our health care system is already burdened with influenza. Most people with the common cold, influenza and Covid-19 do not need to be treated by a doctor- rather, their symptoms can be managed at home. Calling and talking to the doctor before going into a clinic potentially saves the patient a trip and the potential to infect or be infected by others. If a trip to the clinic is needed (and obviously a trip is warranted at times), it provides the clinic advance warning to prepare to see a patient who might have Covid-19 or something else infectious.

It seems that our health care system has a finite amount of personal protective equipment, so it's important that this equipment be used when needed, and not when the "worried well" are simply panicking due to a runny nose. The ERs are slammed right now and we need to safeguard the health of our medical techs, administrators, nurses and doctors. In talking to ER and primary care doctors and nurses, many of the folks they are seeing are people who are actually well- but just worried.

I would love to see Facebook post something-- just like they posted something reminding people to vote. How can we get them to post reminders about washing hands or calling before running to the the doctor or ER?

Just some thoughts... didn't know where else to look for ideas to get this information out. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

The UK's NHS has a great 111 hotline for this. We should create one here as well.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

From their website:
Check if you need medical help
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

Use this service if:

you think you might have coronavirus
in the last 14 days you've been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus
Use the 111 coronavirus service

Information:
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Jeff and other tech savvy folks,
I am a public health professional with no power or influence, but I think there are a few key messages that need to be communicated to the public regarding Covid-19. I have heard of some medical clinics sending an email to all of their patients requesting that they CALL before they come into the clinic if they are experiencing symptoms consistent with an upper respiratory infection. This is so important as our health care system is already burdened with influenza. Most people with the common cold, influenza and Covid-19 do not need to be treated by a doctor- rather, their symptoms can be managed at home. Calling and talking to the doctor before going into a clinic potentially saves the patient a trip and the potential to infect or be infected by others. If a trip to the clinic is needed (and obviously a trip is warranted at times), it provides the clinic advance warning to prepare to see a patient who might have Covid-19 or something else infectious.

It seems that our health care system has a finite amount of personal protective equipment, so it's important that this equipment be used when needed, and not when the "worried well" are simply panicking due to a runny nose. The ERs are slammed right now and we need to safeguard the health of our medical techs, administrators, nurses and doctors. In talking to ER and primary care doctors and nurses, many of the folks they are seeing are people who are actually well- but just worried.

I would love to see Facebook post something-- just like they posted something reminding people to vote. How can we get them to post reminders about washing hands or calling before running to the the doctor or ER?

Just some thoughts... didn't know where else to look for ideas to get this information out. Thanks!

Former journalist now in PR here. You need a short, catchy message that you can make into an infographic and try to get it to go viral. What kind of organization do you work for? Do you have partnerships with any major health orgs that could push out the infographic/messaging via social media? This actually sounds like a cool, interesting project to work on. I'd be willing to try to help with developing the messaging, but we would need graphic design help (I can't do graphic design). Once that's created we could do some outreach to get the big groups to share. I'm sure plenty of DCUMers know the right people. Team effort, DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The UK's NHS has a great 111 hotline for this. We should create one here as well.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

From their website:
Check if you need medical help
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

Use this service if:

you think you might have coronavirus
in the last 14 days you've been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus
Use the 111 coronavirus service

Information:
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.

Have you ever spoken to the 111 people in the UK?
They are flipping useless. Completely. They are non-medically trained and they are reading off google.
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME

Its just an effort to deflect away from the actual NHS which is in a shitty state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Jeff and other tech savvy folks,
I am a public health professional with no power or influence, but I think there are a few key messages that need to be communicated to the public regarding Covid-19. I have heard of some medical clinics sending an email to all of their patients requesting that they CALL before they come into the clinic if they are experiencing symptoms consistent with an upper respiratory infection. This is so important as our health care system is already burdened with influenza. Most people with the common cold, influenza and Covid-19 do not need to be treated by a doctor- rather, their symptoms can be managed at home. Calling and talking to the doctor before going into a clinic potentially saves the patient a trip and the potential to infect or be infected by others. If a trip to the clinic is needed (and obviously a trip is warranted at times), it provides the clinic advance warning to prepare to see a patient who might have Covid-19 or something else infectious.

It seems that our health care system has a finite amount of personal protective equipment, so it's important that this equipment be used when needed, and not when the "worried well" are simply panicking due to a runny nose. The ERs are slammed right now and we need to safeguard the health of our medical techs, administrators, nurses and doctors. In talking to ER and primary care doctors and nurses, many of the folks they are seeing are people who are actually well- but just worried.

I would love to see Facebook post something-- just like they posted something reminding people to vote. How can we get them to post reminders about washing hands or calling before running to the the doctor or ER?

Just some thoughts... didn't know where else to look for ideas to get this information out. Thanks!

Former journalist now in PR here. You need a short, catchy message that you can make into an infographic and try to get it to go viral. What kind of organization do you work for? Do you have partnerships with any major health orgs that could push out the infographic/messaging via social media? This actually sounds like a cool, interesting project to work on. I'd be willing to try to help with developing the messaging, but we would need graphic design help (I can't do graphic design). Once that's created we could do some outreach to get the big groups to share. I'm sure plenty of DCUMers know the right people. Team effort, DCUM?

OP here. I love the initiative and the enthusiasm. I actually work for HHS (NIH, not CDC). I do research but have worked with the communications office in the past. In my experience the messages are so tightly controlled at the highest levels of leadership and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to have any say or even make a suggestion that would go anywhere. But if others are interested in contributing I would certainly be happy to help in crafting the message! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

OP, volunteer PP here. Send me an email: [e-mail] (throwaway address here, but happy to connect transparently offline)