Clinicians can share easy-to-understand, bilingual information on COVID-19 risks and treatments with their patients, thanks to new resources from APHA.

Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its We Can Do This campaign, APHA is providing free materials in English and Spanish that can be used to educate patients on their risk for severe illness, the availability of treatments and the importance of early treatment. 

Patient education materials include handouts about when to get tested for COVID-19, when to seek treatment and how to prevent severe illness. The resources include FAQ sheets for health care providers, posters and social media shareables. The outreach is driven by communication science and provides culturally tailored information for at-risk groups.

While COVID-19 infections and deaths have fallen dramatically, they continue to occur across the U.S. Older adults and people who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, as are those with health issues such as diabetes, cancer, asthma and heart conditions.

Adding to concerns is that many local and state governments have ended safety precautions that can help prevent spread of the disease, and that COVID-19 is viewed as less of a concern by much of the public.

“A lot of people seem to be dropping their guard when it comes to things like masking, keeping up with boosters and testing for COVID,” Georges Benjamin, MD, APHA executive director, said in a news release. “The fact that people are becoming more relaxed about a disease that is still claiming lives makes the We Can Do This campaign all the more important. As much as we may wish the threat to be over, it isn’t yet.”

Join APHA on March 29 for a free webinar with updates on who's most at risk from severe COVID-19 illness as well as the availability and importance of treatments for people with the disease. RSVP now.