COVID-19 News, Updates, and Resources

We’ve created this page as a place for up-to-date and accurate information regarding COVID-19. We will also use this page for updates regarding internal NWI decisions on the virus, as well.

Read our message on the Coronavirus for precautions the National Wellness Institute is putting in place to ensure we take the safest course of action.

Positive COVID-19 News and Key Wellness Factors

NWI will update this section of the page as we find hopeful news and research regarding COVID-19, with emphasis on what key wellness factors will be important to remember during and after the crisis.

• The Medical Fitness Association has announced they will hold a webinar providing guidelines on how to safely open gym and fitness centers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the webinar at our Journal.

• NWI has teamed up with the U.S. Census Bureau to help make sure that every person living in the U.S. is counted in the 2020 Census. Find out why an accurate count is so important to our community at 2020census.gov. 

• Ekhart Yoga believes in sharing the love of yoga to create positive change in the world. During this crisis, they are extending their two-week free trial to a month. Select a monthly membership and enter the code 1month at checkout.

• WorkatWork, a global non-profit organization for professionals who are engaged in the important practice of Total Rewards, is offering three COVID-19 related Expert Insights (with one back by popular demand) free to both members and non-members. Expert Insights are recorded and available following the live session. Non-members will receive a complimentary 90-day WorldatWork membership upon registration.

• SchoolClosures.org, a partnership ran by over 150 volunteers and more than 80 organizations, is pooling resources to provide a unified response to the current crisis and its impact on families. The free hotline and informational website the partnership has developed provides expert advice and assistance to families and teachers impacted by school closures, in a wide array of topics.

• NWI Membership Committee member and Senior Manager of Well-Being at Banner Health Nicole Stec as composed a list of resources Banner Health has been working on for their own members.

• Looking for something to read during social distancing? TIME released a list of 13 books you should read in April!

• The CDC has shared a blog post with instructions on how healthcare workers can combat fatigue and stress during this unprecedented time. See the full blog post here.

• The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding for innovative, multidisciplinary research projects to develop knowledge and tools to promote the safety, health, and wellness of law enforcement and corrections officers.

• PwC is closely tracking sentiment and priorities for finance leaders, as businesses respond to unprecedented disruptions to daily operations and finance activities brought on by the coronavirus.
  This survey, the second since emergency public health measures were first put in place in North America, reflects the views of 55 finance leaders from a cross-section of industries in the US and Mexico during the week of March 23.  

• On Monday 3/30, the CDC will provide an update for corporate medical officers and benefit managers. The update will last roughly 30-45 minutes, and a recording will be posted on their site with resources for businesses and employers. 

• The HealthyLife® Digital Coaching programs are a series of upbeat and easy-to-follow videos. They are presented by medical and wellness experts who take you on a wellness journey
  at your own pace.

• HealthyLife released a special edition of their newsletter HealthyLife Letter, with information on how to stay well during the epidemic.

• The U.S. Senate has passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, which will be effective within 15 days of passing. The new act will provide emergency sick leave and emergency family leave to employees who are struggling during the health crisis. The act will also give tax credits to employers to cover wages paid to employees for time off under the sick leave and family leave programs.

• Action for Happiness is an organization that is committed to building a happier and more caring society. They’ve developed 10 Keys for Happier Living that dictates their actions, and they have created a calendar with 30 ways to look after ourselves and each other during this crisis. See the calendar below, or visit their page for more Keys for Happier Living.

• BenefitsPRO shared 15 best practices for remote phone meetings to remember while working from home.

• It’s important to remember that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception.The National Association of School Psychologists have created a parent resource with information on how to talk to children about the coronavirus.

• Givhero is providing a FREE resource to everyone impacted by COVID-19. They are offering a wellness challenge to support well-being, community and social connections during this challenging time of social distancing. Join the challenge, share it with your colleagues, your clients, your friends and family, and raise funds for those charities that are supporting us during this time of crisis.

• American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) has created a tailored resource library of collated key articles, podcasts, webinars and other resources to assist you through this unprecedented time.

• The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is providing a completely virtual workshop entitled “Master Resilience to Sustain High Performance”, presented by Brian Krolczyk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Health Promotion & Wellness department at UWSP. Physical and mental well-being are directly correlated with your leadership capacity. Join the workshop and master the art of managing personal and organizational resilience. In the first half of this highly interactive workshop, you’ll learn the physiology of stress, a strategy to increase your personal power, and develop an action plan to increase your energy. In the second half, you’ll learn to apply proven strategies that build a resilient and high performing organizational culture. Those interested can learn more and register here.

• Good News Network gathered 10 positive updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, including the race for
  a cure, how the environment is benefiting, and how people are reaching out to help others.

• A 103-year-old grandmother in China has provided hope for the elderly population, after a report broke that she made a full recovery from COVID-19 after being treated for six days in Wuhan.

• A San Diego biotech company is developing a COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Duke University and the National University of Singapore. They’re learning that plasma from newly recovered patients can treat others infected by the virus.
• Globally, people are struggling to cope with the strain COVID-19 has put on their lives and health. Some good news from Maryland can be shared, though, because three Maryland coronavirus patients have fully recovered and are able to return to everyday life.

• Answers to Your Most Burning Employment Law Questions about COVID-19–Occupational wellness, or more specifically financial wellness, is an important factor in a person’s well-being, and NWI recognizes that a person experiences optimal wellness by obtaining and keeping a profession that is rewarding, provides meaning, and is satisfying. Attorney
  and President of Center for Health & Wellness Law, LLC, and National Wellness Institute Board of Directors Member, Barbara Zabawa, outlines some of the most common employment law questions
  on topics affecting safety, health, and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Quiz Yourself on the Facts Surrounding COVID-19

Quizzify created two quizzes to test your knowledge on the facts and myths surrounding COVID-19. Want to see how much you really know about the virus? Click the links below to complete the assessment.

Basic Quiz

Sequel to the Basic Quiz

COVID-19 Update for Employers and Businesses From the Center of Disease Control

CDC will once again have an update for employers and businesses regarding COVID-19. A recording will be posted on their site also providing resources for businesses and employers, including the recording of the previous update from March 4th which is
currently available. Please visit their Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers page for more information.

Besides providing updates for employers, the CDC is providing information tailored for different audiences, including healthcare professionals and public health officials, as well as general briefings and health alerts.
A general briefing is scheduled for tomorrow.

For questions, please contact 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or submit a webform inquiry at www.cdc.gov/info.

Combating the Coronavirus Toolkit for Business

Thank you to our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for gathering these great tools for workplaces.

• Guidance For Employers – Click here to download guidance for employers to plan for and respond
  to the Coronavirus.
• Workplace Tips – For workplace tips and resources for employees to combat the virus, please click here.
• Corporate Aid Tracker – Click here to view our corporate aid tracker for details on how businesses are helping.
• Resilience in a Box – If your business needs help putting a plan in place, click here to use the Resilience in a Box toolkit created in partnership with
  the UPS Foundation.

Click here to see more tools from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Practical Tips For Employers When Addressing COVID-19

From NWI Board Member Dr. Tyler Amell

As an occupational epidemiologist, I get a lot of questions about what’s happening in the world right now. Although I don’t specialize in communicable diseases per se, rather in working populations and their health and productivity as a whole, the philosophy,
science and approach is very similar. Here is some practical information I have put together to help employers understand and address the COVID-19 issue with their people. Feel free to copy and paste this information into your own branded/templated
communication to your people, with highlighted opportunity to customize and fit with your culture, strategy and approach. Read more at Linkedin.com

U.S. gives ’emergency’ authorization to new Roche coronavirus test that’s 10 times faster

Roche Holding AG said it won emergency approval from the U.S. government for a highly automated coronavirus test, potentially speeding up the ability to test patients by a factor of 10. Read more at Fortune.com

Coping with coronavirus anxiety

Worrying about all the news on the new coronavirus and the illness it causes? Well, that makes good sense. If you’re wondering how to cope with anxious feelings that are surfacing, This blog post can guide you through steps that may be helpful to many people. Via health.harvard.com