Dear MDECOE and greater community,
Public health officials, doctors, therapists and researchers have observed that the pandemic is providing unexpected, yet positive, impacts due to the major shifts in human behavior, interaction and thought. COVID is currently responsible for over 241 million cases and 4.9 million deaths, globally, according to John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center. Yet despite these sobering statistics and the person impact of this time, there are silver linings to what we have experienced. An article by Caresource titled “The COVID-19 Pandemic One Year Later: Silver Linings in a Very Dark Cloud,” notes that “The increase in coronavirus cases led to the rise of telemedicine, an important virtual tool utilized to consult medical providers and to receive care. 46% of patients now say they use telehealth for some visits, and 48% of physicians now say they are treating patients via telemedicine, as reported by Merritt Hawkins.” There also has been an expansion of other telehealth services, such as counseling. The pandemic has changed the way we think about mental health, no longer viewed as an embarrassing and uncomfortable topic, and has allowed for those who need support to easily get the help that they need. Finally, we are more aware than ever of the importance of maintaining our own well-being and being conscious of work-life balance. To read more, go to
For a list of many self-care options, please see our College of Education self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
May you benefit from the silver linings of this time.
Warmly,
Shari