Government Information at Your Fingertips
In January 2020, the public became aware of a new virus that could wreak havoc in a community in ways unexpected. The city of Wuhan became the place of focus. What we read and saw in the media about the Chinese government’s response to the coronavirus, commonly known as COVID-19, seemed to be in the realm of science fiction.
What exactly is COVID-19? Should we be concerned about its confirmed presence in the United States? Answers to these questions can be found on the following government agencies’ sites.
MedlinePlus, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, provides the public with symptoms, prevention, and treatment information in clear and concise communication. Non-English speakers can access information in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
On the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) site users can view a map that shows the status of the virus in the United States. Users can also view a global map that shows the growing list of countries affected by the virus.
Featured on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) site are a What’s New section and links to Twitter feeds with authoritative news about the virus.
Some interesting images are on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) site where users can view models and microscope specimens of COVID-19.