Resources That May Help You Be Better Informed About COVID-19

This post is by Mark Howard of Sparta Health

Government Sources

• Find out the number of cases and risk level in the UK, what to do if you have symptoms, and what the government is doing about the virus - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public.
• NHS responses to common questions about the virus - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Government’s advice for employers and businesses - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
• Public Health England - https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/101-coronavirus-/resources
• Health Protection Scotland - https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/wuhan-novel-coronavirus/
• Public Health Wales - https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/
• Public Health Northern Ireland - https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/covid-19-coronavirus

Managing Your Mental Health Sources

• Coronavirus and your wellbeing from Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
• Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak from the mental health foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak
• Managing your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak from Rethink - https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/blogs/2020/03/managing-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/
• Young Minds - https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/
• Coronavirus and self-isolation; looking after your mental health and wellbeing from BACP - https://www.bacp.co.uk/news/news-from-bacp/2020/13-march-coronavirus-self-isolation-how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-and-wellbeing-if-you-re-self-isolating/

Resources For Organisations

• ACAS – employers and employees guidance - https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
• Chartered Institute of Personnel Development - https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/health-safety/coronavirus-factsheet
• Business Continuity Institute - Organisational resilience and pandemic planning - https://www.thebci.org/news/pandemic-resilience-a-continuity-perspective.html
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Latest outputs on Covid - 19 - https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/all-reports-covid-19
• HMRC time to pay scheme - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
• Coronavirus: Four things to consider when encouraging home working – Personnel Today - https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/coronavirus-home-working-considerations/
• Homeworkers Guidance for employers on health and safety - HSE - https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg226.pdf

Home and Remote Working Resources

• What do I need to work from home due to coronavirus? Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2020/mar/19/work-at-home-coronavirus-office-self-isolating
• Wellbeing considerations for home working and self-isolation - Safety and Health Practitioner - https://www.shponline.co.uk/lone-working/home-working/
• Coronavirus: 5 ways to work from home with your kids (and stay sane) – World Economic Forum - https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/working-parents-school-closures-coronavirus/
• CIMA -Chartered Institute of Management Accountants - https://www.cimaglobal.com/Members/Insights/Coronavirus-4-tips-to-work-remotely--/

Online Meetings

• COVID-19: Ultimate Guide to Free Video Conferencing & Collaboration - https://www.uctoday.com/collaboration/video-conferencing/covid-19-ultimate-guide-to-free-video-conferencing-collaboration/
• 7 Best Practices for COVID-19-Necessitated Online Meetings – Inside Higher Ed - https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/7-best-practices-covid-19-necessitated-online-meetings
• A few simple tips for better online meetings (COVID-19 edition) – mit media lab - https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/a-few-simple-tips-for-better-online-meetings-covid-19-edition/

Underlying Health Conditions 

• Coronavirus Overview – NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Coronavirus: what it means for you if you have heart or circulatory disease – BHF - https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health
• Coronavirus: Advice for people with health conditions - BBC News Health - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51703892
• Coronavirus and COVID-19 – British Lung Foundation - https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/coronavirus
• Coronavirus – What is it and where to go for information – Versus Arthritis - https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/march/coronavirus-covid-19-what-is-it-and-where-to-go-for-information/
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advice for people with Crohn’s and Colitis - https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice
• Health advice for people with asthma – Asthma UK - https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Coronavirus: Full list of medical conditions of those most at risk of becoming seriously ill - https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/coronavirus-full-list-medical-conditions-17941850

General Guidance

• Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
• Social distancing: guidance for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults
• Guidance for Carers – Carers UK - https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19
• Coronavirus (COVID-19); what you need to know – Public Health Matters Blog - https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/

If we can help in anyway during this time, please do not hesitate to contact us.

About Mark Howard 

In April 2019 Mark was invited to lead the development and design proposition of the business. He has extensive and unique experience of working in a variety of organisational settings at leadership levels designing and managing:

• Workplace health initiatives, absence management solutions and return to work programmes for organisations.
• Disability claims management and rehabilitation solutions for Health and Protection and Liability Insurance markets. 

He is a professional member of the Vocation Rehabilitation Association and has an occupational health psychology-based Masters’ degree in Workplace Health and Wellbeing from the University of Nottingham;

His motto is “Learn from the past, understand the present and Think in the future”.