Photo Cred: Jane Dough/Nikki Mathis
With the number of coronavirus cases crossing 200,000 worldwide on Wednesday, here are some things we can do to show appreciation to the doctors, nurses and other health care personnel, working tirelessly across the country.
1. Make sure they get some free food.
Uber and Sweetgreen have both announced plans to offer free meals to health care workers and first responders in the coming days.
People who may be friends or family with health care workers could also have a free meal delivered to them by using UberEats, Postmates or another delivery service.
2. Continue to donate blood.
The American Red Cross announced it’s experiencing a “severe blood shortage” because many blood donation drives have been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus.
Dr. Jerome Adams, the U.S. Surgeon General, emphasized on TODAY Wednesday that people can still take time out to donate blood while maintaining self-quarantine.
3. Donate to charities that support hospitals.
You can donate to your local hospital or to organizations like the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which has created a COVID-19 Response Fund to support those affected by coronavirus as well as first responders.
If you are looking to help hospitals with supplies, Direct Relief is helping to provide essential medical items and protective equipment to health care workers responding to the coronavirus.
4. Follow the advice of health care workers.
Adams also noted on TODAY that Americans simply following the advice of health care experts can have the biggest impact of all.
“What the American people can do is really drive down that demand by staying at home, washing your hands, social distancing,” Adams said.
Getting your information from credible sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization also can help stop the spread of rumors and myths about the illness.
If you think you may have coronavirus, these are the important steps you should take, including calling your medical provider first before going to a doctor’s office or hospital for treatment.
Here are some additional tips on how to protect yourself and your family, properly clean your home and shop for groceries while staying safe.
5. A simple THANK YOU means a lot.
6. Don’t buy up unnecessary supplies.
The hashtag #GetMePPE trended on Twitter as nurses, doctors and other health care workers begged to get more personal protective equipment like N95 masks, respirators and goggles after experiencing shortages of vital items. Panic buying by the public has had some hospitals scrambling to find crucial supplies.
7. Offer to help with childcare and their pets.
Source: Parade.com