Best Covid Resources for Parents
Remember “hot vax summer”? More people were getting vaccinated every day, Covid case numbers were declining, and a return to normalcy felt like it was around the corner. The promise of a semblance of pre-Covid life felt so close — and as such, most of us, on some level, lowered our inhibitions.
But then, the Delta variant happened, effectively putting the kibosh on all our hopes and plans.
As the CDC revised mask and social distancing recommendations, our editorial team wondered: how would we approach this unfortunate plot twist?
Trying to keep up with all the Covid developments is (still) a nightmare. Not only do things change on the daily, but finding reliable, evidence-based sources of information that also synthesize information and address parents’ concerns can be a challenge. To help you stay abreast of the latest Covid news and advice, we decided to directly prompt you to the experts.
Here are the resources our editorial team relies on every day to keep abreast of what’s happening — they’re all produced by crazy smart people who have expertise and experience, know what they’re talking about, boil down relevant topics and concerns, and link to original sources and citations. Even just following along with a couple of these accounts (by newsletter, on social media, etc.) can be a helpful strategy to stay sane, sort through the unfolding infodemic and navigate your next steps:
- “Your Local Epidemiologist” – especially this post.
- Peds Doc Talk
- The Osterholm Update
- Emily Oster
- Dr. Monica Gandhi
- Jessica Malaty Rivera
- Anita Patel
Lucie McBride of The Atlantic said it well, “Reclaiming rational thought amid ongoing uncertainty can be vexingly difficult, yet it is crucial for our health. Parents must first absorb the scientific evidence on Delta. We must cross-check our internal narratives about our own kids against the facts of our local public-health landscape by checking in with trusted health-care professionals.”
Easier said than done, but an important reminder nonetheless. Good luck out there, parents. The one thing we know is true is that there are no easy decisions these days.