COVID-19 Update
Resources for the pandemic.
Garden Micro-Organisms by Kim KototamaLune
Image Description: Photograph shows filamentous and bulbous glass structures illuminated against a black background. Appendages and lattices of white fill the darkened room: an artistic interpretation of the microbial world. Courtesy of Vietnamese artist Kim KototamaLune.
The Situation
On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic. A few days following this declaration, McGill University announced closure of “non-essential” campus activity. The province of Quebec as well as the Canadian government have since directed everyone to practice social distancing where possible, leading to the unprecedented shutdown of shops, schools, and institutions across the country.
Here in Montreal, we see an ever-increasing rise of identified COVID-19 cases every day. As of 1pm on April 4, 2020, the number of confirmed cases sits at 3261 for the city, much higher than numbers reported in densely-populated countries such as Taiwan and Singapore. While the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases may be attributed to increased testing of individuals after set-up of a screening clinic at Quartier des Spectacles, the exponential spread of the novel coronavirus within communities indicates a public health crisis that is highly volatile.
Message from Our Team
We at SciComm Collective await new developments as we inch toward May 1, 2020, the original set end to university closure. We recognize the fluctuating situation, disruption to our routines, massive influx of news and information, and the uncertainty of it all can evoke a lot of stress and anxiety. We encourage reaching out to friends and family (virtually) for support, as well as taking a look at the resources compiled below. “Home” may not be the most ideal or supportive space for everyone, so please do reach out if you need! Our social media inboxes are always open.
A special shout-out to the trans and non-binary community in celebration of the International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. Them published a great article by Rory Gory on what it means to be seen as trans and/or non-binary in our society. Though COVID-19 news may be overshadowing everything these days, we want to express that we see you. We value you.
Finally, a massive thank-you to our healthcare practitioners, grocery store workers, housekeeping staff, delivery personnel, and everyone still working through this time. Let’s all do our part: staying home if we can and taking care of ourselves.
Ça va bien aller!
Resources
COVID-19 information and resources for newcomers by Welcome Collective
Food bank by Midnight Kitchen Collective
Resources for researchers and clinicians fighting COVID-19 in Canada
Self-Care & Mental Health
Virtual active listening service by Vent Over Tea
Nighttime active listening service by Concordia Students’ Nightline
Virtual hangouts for 2SLGBTQ+/questioning youth, ages 14-25 by Project 10
Crisis hotlines in Quebec
Crisis hotlines in Canada
Free Guide To Living With Worry And Anxiety Amidst Global Uncertainty by Psychology Tools
Care for your coronavirus anxiety by Shine
Self Isolation Care Package by McGill University McLennan-Redpath Library
Things to Do
Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams
Virtual museum tours
SciComm Collective articles
STEAM-related articles by theme
The Sciku Project
Asian American FeministAntibodies: Care in the Time of Coronavirus zine by Asian American Feminist Collective
Quarantine Stories
Ologies Podcast
Feminist and Accessible Publishing and Technologies recorded talks
Six Must-Watch TED Talks by Women STEM Leaders by Sister
9 New Songs By Queer Artists You Need to Hear: Lauren Jauregui, Pabllo Vittar, and More by Michelle Kim
Skype a Scientist
Contribute to science through protein folding game
Colouring Sheets by Rachael Ignotofsky // Christine Liu // Gemma Correll
Education
Accessible teaching in the time of COVID-19 by Aimi Hamraie
Teaching remotely by McGill University Teaching & Learning Services
Supporting Local Initiatives & Shops
Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK
MTL COVID-19 Mutual Aid
MTL Resto Relief Fund
Les Chocolats de Chloé for all your chocolate needs
L'Euguélionne for a collection of feminist books, delivered to you by bike
The Word Bookstore for book boxes
COVID-19
COVID-19 Fact Sheets by COVID-19 Health Literacy Project: A collection of information pamphlets available in different languages
COVID-19 Easy Summaries by Samantha Yammine: Hot topics of discussion surrounding the virus, informed by scientific literature
How the Pandemic Will End by Ed Yong: A comprehensive overview of how COVID-19 is impacting the United States
Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve” by Harry Stevens: Visualization of what it means to “flatten the curve” via social distancing
17 (or so) responsible live visualizations about the coronavirus, for you to use by Lisa Charlotte Rost: A data visualization resource for the number of COVID-19 cases in the world
Viruses: What They are, How They Spread, and How We Fight Them by Anna Funk: A digestible introduction to viruses and virology
How to Talk About the Coronavirus by Liz Neeley: The challenges of and tips for communicating the science of COVID-19
Communicating new science in a crisis by Samantha Yammine: What pre-prints for science articles are, and the importance of taking them with a grain of salt
