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Covid- 19 Facts and Books

By March 6, 2020May 13th, 2021The Kerlan Blog

Book Recommendations and University of Minnesota Information

Book Recommendations

What are germs? How do we get sick?

Book Cover, white child sneezing on her friend

Germs Make Me Sick! (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)  by Melvin Berger    illustrated by Marylin Hafner   2015 Ages 4 and up

AND

Germs: Fact and Fiction, Friends and Foes written by Lesa Cline-Ransome, Illustrated by James Ransome, Holt, 2017, Ages 5 and up.

The CDC recommends staying home if you are sick- Self-quarentine.

 

snotty white boy spreading germs at school

Sick Simon by Dan Krall, 2015, Ages 5 and up.

CDC advises hand washing to prevent the spread of the virus

White teacher teaching small children to wash their hands

Wash Your Hands! (Robin Hill School)  by Margaret McNamara  illustrated by Mike Gordon  Ages 5 and up, 2010

CDC advises to keep your hands off your face

Child with a box of tissues

Noses Are Not For Picking by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marieka Heinlen, 2014. Ages 2 and up.

Self-Quarantine?

A few titles to keep the care-givers and kids busy at home.

Writing Boxes: The Reading/Writing Connection provides hours of self-guided writing activities from postcard writing to comic making. All you need is paper and a pencil or pen. A free download or buy the physical book.

https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing/writingboxes

I wrote at length about comics on Blue Ox Review a few weeks ago.

to review go to https://www.continuum.umn.edu/2020/01/comics-easy-as-abc/

 

Making Comics by Linda Barry.

Comics as Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti, Toon Books

 

Make this! : building, thinking, and tinkering projects for the amazing maker in youby Ella Schwartz National Geographic.

 

Sick Sound Effects, Draw the person, place or thing that is experiencing the word

All You Need Is a Pencil: The Totally Sick Sick-Day Activity Book by Mark Shulman, illustrated by Joe Bartos, Charlesbridge.

And This Should Keep the Kids and Grown Ups Busy

Rip the page! : adventures in creative writing by Karen Benke, Roost Books.

 This interactive book offers experiments to strengthen the “write-side” of their brains-with wordplay, open-ended experiments, do-it-yourself definitions, double-dares, word lists galore, and enough blank pages to roam-and rip!-on their journey of discovering that playing with words is precisely what creative writers do to warm up to the page. The book includes encouragement from acclaimed poets and writers, including Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), Naomi Shihab Nye, Gary Soto, Annie Barrows, Lucille Clifton, Karen Cushman, Patricia Polacco, and others.

 

A Matter of Facts: COVID-19

A Matter of Facts from the University of Minnesota Libraries

By Erin Reardon and Nicole Theis-Mahon

Background

COVID-19 Virus
Image credit: Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM. From the CDC’s Public Health Image Library.

COVID-19 is an acute respiratory disease caused by a novel, or new, coronavirus first identified December 2019 in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei Province. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the official name of COVID-19 on February 11, 2020.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which commonly cause mild upper respiratory tract illnesses. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

COVID-19 spreads from person to person when someone sneezes, coughs, or breathes it in. The virus might also spread by touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth.

You can prevent infection by handwashing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

Latest news

Since December 2019, COVID-19 has spread from China to other countries, including South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan. Cases of COVID-19 are also increasing in the United States.

While much of the media coverage of COVID-19 may seem worrisome, as of February 29, 2020, the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) states that the risk of someone getting COVID-19 in the United States is currently low. Travelers returning from affected areas may face a higher risk. Moreover, this is a changing and evolving situation. Up to date information is available from the CDC’s Situation Summary, which also includes travel information.

Take normal precautions to stay healthy, such as washing your hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when you are sick. This will help prevent the spread of all contagious illnesses, including the cold, the flu, and COVID-19.

If you feel sick, the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Resources for research and understanding

U of MN Libraries resources

  • COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) summary from DynaMed, an evidence-based health information resource. Provides general information, along with information on epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis.
  • COVID-19 Resources and Tools from health publisher Wolters Kluwer/Ovid. Offers access to published articles on COVID-19.
  • Coronavirus COVID-19 articles from the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database.

Trusted online health information

Resources for the U of M campus

U of M research and expertise from Experts@UMN


About the Authors

Erin Reardon, MFA, MLIS, is a Medical School Librarian.

Nicole Theis-Mahon, MLIS, AHIP, is the Collection Coordinator for the Health Sciences Libraries and Dentistry Librarian.


Disclaimer

Online health information should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content in this article is for general information only.

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