As part of the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO’s) work to support and serve 3,000 local health departments (LHDs) in the United States, NACCHO is releasing a bi-weekly blog consisting of an up-to-date collection of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resources for our members working at the intersection of environmental health and COVID-19. Read the last blog from 11/25/2020.

Curated Resources as of 12/8/2020

NACCHO Events

• NACCHO COVID-19 Webinar: Project N95: NACCHO invites local health department leadership and staff to join the COVID-19: Project N95 webinar on Tuesday, December 15 (3:00 – 4:00 pm ET). As the pandemic worsens, demand for PPE continues to outstrip supply in many areas across the U.S. As one of the leading nonprofits in the effort to get PPE to people who need it, Project N95 has distributed more than 2 million units of PPE since May. In this session, Project N95 Executive Director Anne Miller will share insights around supply chain issues, PPE availability, and ways Project N95 can help your communities.

From Purdue University and NACCHO

• New Water Systems Course Designed to Aid Safe Building Reopening During and After a Pandemic: During COVID-19, many buildings shut their doors, leaving their water systems idle which in turn triggered concerns regarding buildup of copper, lead as well as disease-causing organisms, such as Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire’s Disease. To ensure that building water systems are properly cleaned for safe reopening, Purdue University has launched a new water systems course designed to give health officials, building owners, and managers the answers and information they need quickly. Purdue has partnered with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to offer this course at a discount for local health departments. The course, priced at $445, is being offered at a discounted price of $395 when the discount code “NACCHO” is used upon checkout. Register for the course. For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: Detection of SARS CoV-2 in Wastewater to Inform Public Health (December 16 at 3 PM EST): This webinar focuses on EPA’s Office of Research and Development research team’s collaborative efforts to reduce uncertainty across SARS CoV-2 in wastewater through method development within their lab, application in sewer sheds with distinctive levels of industrial and stormwater impacts within the Cincinnati Metropolitan Sewer District , and development of a wastewater surveillance system in Ohio in support of the State Department of Health.

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• A new CDC report outlines a combination of 10 evidence-based strategies to slow and ultimately stop the spread of COVID-19.
• Guidance for Health Departments about COVID-19 Testing in the Community
• CDC’s Rapid Needs Assessment of Building Reopenings (open until 12/18)
• Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing
• CDC’s Life After a Disaster Materials for Teens: After a natural disaster, it is normal to feel different and strong emotions. To better help teenagers who have experienced a natural disaster cope, CDC has developed a series of resources for teens, including videos, social media graphics, and posters. Parents of teens, mental health professionals, educators, school administrators, faith-based organizations, and others who work closely with teenagers can share these resources in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Find first-person videos of teens’ personal stories, along with posters, social media graphics, and other coping resources, at www.cdc.gov/disasters/teens. Materials are available in English and Spanish.
• Why Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (a new factsheet from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

From the Roosevelt Institute

• A Green Recovery: The Case for Climate Forward Stimulus Policies in America’s COVID-19 Recession Response: This report explains why a green recovery can meet the immediate economic relief efforts and stimulus goals borne from COVID-19, both efficiently and effectively.

See any EH and COVID-19 categories missing on this bi-weekly blog? Let us know by emailing [email protected]. Continue to check back with NACCHO’s Essential Elements for COVID-19 and LHD resources.