Category: We Heart Health Literacy

There’s a lot of coronavirus nonsense making the rounds these days. And whether it comes from a craven conspiracy theorist, an unhinged elected official, or a reputable news organization that made an honest mistake, misinformation can be dangerous.

As health communicators, we can counter coronavirus misinformation by giving our audiences the actual facts — and teaching them to tell fact from fiction for themselves. Try these strategies:

• Share trusted sources. Debunking every individual story that contains coronavirus misinformation would be a full-time job. So instead, try directing people to your go-to sources for COVID-19 info — like CDC or your local health department. Get your readers used to seeing credible sources cited — maybe the next time they go looking for info on their own, they’ll default to those sources.
• Offer tips for spotting sketchy sources. Does an article have obvious typos? Inconsistent formatting? Those are easy clues that the source might be a little off. We wish we could go further and say that if something sounds unbelievable, it’s probably fake. But, you know, you just can’t say that these days. What you can do is encourage people to use common sense, and to check other sources when a news item sounds more bonkers than usual.
• Spread the word that social media is a mixed bag, fact-wise. Social media can be a great way to spread public health messages. But people also need to know that a post from their friend’s cousin’s friend (who’s a doctor!) may not be a great news source. And that we can’t rely on social media companies to remove harmful misinformation.
• Consider skipping mythbusting. It’s tempting to call out the most absurd myths about coronavirus. (5G, anyone?) But when we repeat dangerous myths — even for the purpose of debunking them — we run the risk that our audiences will remember the myth, not the fact. This is especially true when people are quickly skimming, say, a tweet. Sometimes it’s safer to let the facts speak for themselves.
• Encourage people to get their science from scientists — not politicians. In an emergency, people naturally look to their elected leaders for guidance. But in a public health crisis, getting politicians to cede the podium to public health experts is one way to fight dangerous pseudoscience.

And finally, as you navigate this tricky health comm landscape, remember to stay empathetic. Most people who believe and share coronavirus misinformation aren’t stupid or evil — just scared, confused, and looking for answers. Judgment and condescension have never been effective ways to change people’s minds, and that’s not going to change now.

The bottom line: Help your audiences stick to trusted sources and spot coronavirus misinformation.

Tweet about it: #Coronavirus misinformation is rampant. @CommunicateHlth explains how to help your audiences avoid it: https://bit.ly/3bsgXfe #communicateCOVID

Social distancing is hard for everyone, but it can be especially tough on teens. After all, we’re asking them to stay home just when they’re craving independence and social connections. They’re worrying about how the pandemic will affect their future, missing their friends, and missing out on once-in-a-lifetime milestones like prom and graduation.

And as summer approaches and many states start to relax restrictions, we suspect it will only get harder to persuade teens to stay home. So what’s a health communicator to do? Try these tips to get through to teens:

• Feature real teen stories and voices. Remember, when you were a teen, how eagerly you rushed to comply with commands from your parents/principal/state government/local public health authority? Neither do we, dear readers! We do, however, remember putting a lot of stock in what our peers said and did. So think about including quotes, personal stories, and advice from teens in communication materials. Or try encouraging teens to spread key messages directly to their peers on social media.
• Validate what they’re going through. You know what? This pandemic totally sucks! Acknowledge that teens are dealing with real losses right now, and give them space to grieve — for “normal” life, for loved ones who are sick, for missed milestones or canceled plans. Let them know that whatever they’re feeling is okay.
• Remember that there’s no universal COVID-19 experience. For some teens, missing their social life may be the least of their worries. They may also be facing very grown-up challenges like caring for family members and working in food service or other essential jobs. So avoid reducing the teen experience to themes you’d see in a high school movie.
• Remind them that it’s normal to feel anxious or depressed. Reassure teens that anxiety, panic, and depression are normal responses to, you know, the end of the world as we knew it! Encourage them to talk to a trusted adult if they’re feeling overwhelmed, and direct them to remote options for mental health care.
• Encourage them to explore (social distancing-friendly) hobbies and passions. Doing what we love can help us manage stress. Now’s the time for teens to dive into their favorite (safe) hobbies or find a new creative outlet — like drawing, cooking, or learning yet another TikTok dance.
• Be honest when you don’t know the answer. In health communication, we’re often called to embrace uncertainty. And that’s especially important right now, as we’ll almost definitely continue to remind you. Teens, like most people, don’t love being lied to — and they may be especially sensitive to adults shielding them from the truth. Being honest about what we know and don’t know can go a long way toward winning teens’ trust.
• Empower teens to help. Teens may feel like there’s not much they can control right now. Remind them that steps like staying home can help slow the spread of the virus — and save lives. Suggest ways they can help others, like raising money for COVID-19 relief efforts or helping older neighbors get groceries.

The bottom line: When communicating with teens about coronavirus, compassion and honesty are key.

Tweet about it: Social distancing may be especially tough for teens. @CommunicateHlth has tips for talking to teens about #coronavirus: https://bit.ly/2WfthLD #communicateCOVID

Here at We ❤ Health Literacy Headquarters, we’re big fans of easy-to-understand tips for preventing the spread of COVID-19. And though health experts have been providing plenty of guidance, sometimes the advice isn’t so clear.

Case in point: “Practice good hygiene.” Sure, that’s helpful if you know exactly what experts mean by “good hygiene.” But many people don’t!

Generally speaking, good hygiene means keeping yourself and your surroundings clean. But depending on the context, that can mean anything from washing your hands to brushing your teeth every day or wearing clean clothes.

So, how can you communicate clearly about “good hygiene”? It’s simple — skip that term and get straight to the specific steps people can take to protect themselves and others. For COVID-19 prevention materials, try these tips:

• Wash your hands — a lot. Rub soap on your hands for at least 20 seconds, then rinse it off with water.
• If you don’t have soap and water, use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol. Rub it on your hands until it dries.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue if you have one and your elbow if you don’t.
• Try not to touch your face. If you have to touch your face, wash your hands first — and again afterward.
• Keep your home clean. Focus on cleaning things you touch a lot — like doorknobs and light switches. Use soapy water, a cleaning spray, or disinfecting wipes.

Of course, something as simple as handwashing can be a challenge for people who don’t have access to basic services like running water. If this is your audience, be sure to mention any local resources that can help — like public handwashing stations or legal aid to help fight a water service shutoff. And focus on steps they can take, like staying away from other people as much as possible.

The bottom line: Instead of telling your audience to “practice good hygiene,” just give them specific steps they can take to stay healthy.

Tweet about it: Want to tell your audience how to practice “good hygiene” to help prevent the spread of #COVID19? @CommunicateHlth can help: https://bit.ly/3bT7wGC #communicateCOVID

Recently, dear readers, some of you have asked us what to call the coronavirus in health materials. Here at We ❤ Health Literacy Headquarters, we’ve been talking about this a lot.

Let’s dive right in by tackling the low-hanging fruit:

• Skip SARS-CoV-2 (the official name of the virus itself). It’s long and technical — and people may confuse it with the 2003 SARS outbreak. So unless you’re writing for an audience of infectious disease specialists, avoid this term like… the plague.
• Ditch “novel.” Normally, we might swap “novel” for “new” in plain language materials, but “the new coronavirus” sounds a bit like a shiny new car. And at this point, COVID-19 doesn’t feel so novel anyway.
• Never use stigmatizing terms like “the Chinese virus” or “Wuhan coronavirus.” Associating the virus with particular people or places perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Now that we’ve got those out of the way, it’s down to 2 contenders: coronavirus and COVID-19. So can we all just pick one and call it a day? It’s tricky! These terms may get thrown around interchangeably, but they mean slightly different things:

• Coronavirus is the name for a family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These infections range from the common cold to more serious illnesses, like SARS.
• COVID-19 stands for “coronavirus disease 2019,” and it’s the official name of the disease in the current pandemic. It’s caused by a specific coronavirus (our old friend SARS-CoV-2).

That said, if you’re making general references to the pandemic, either term works:

• During the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing can help keep people safe.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing can help keep people safe.

You may even choose to use both terms in a single material. Both terms are all over the news and social media, so there’s an argument for using the terms your audiences see every day.

If you’re writing something more nuanced, you can use coronavirus to refer to the virus and COVID-19 for specific facts and figures about the disease. For example:

• Experts think this coronavirus may have started in bats.
• Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Just make sure to explain somewhere in your material that COVID-19 is the disease caused by this specific coronavirus.

At this point, you may be thinking, “But COVID-19 has all caps and a number! That’s not good for low-literacy audiences.” Good point! Sticking with “coronavirus” for low-lit audiences is a perfectly reasonable choice.

Or you could lose the caps. “Covid-19” and “covid-19” don’t solve the problem entirely, but they can help with readability. And people pronounce the word “COVID” — not the individual letters. (We’ve been following the lead of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they both cap it.)

Still waiting for a clear answer? Well, like you, we’re learning as we go on this one! But we hope these considerations will help you pick the right terms for your audiences and materials.

The bottom line: “COVID-19” and “coronavirus” are often used interchangeably. But there are some important things to consider when you’re choosing which one to use in your health materials.

Tweet about it: Confused about whether to say #coronavirus or #COVID19 in #HealthLit materials? @CommunicateHlth discusses: https://bit.ly/2VwaV8J #communicateCOVID

We recently shared some ideas to help you talk to kids about coronavirus. This week, we’re back with tips for reaching a group at higher risk for severe illness from coronavirus: older adults.

People age 65 and older are more likely to develop serious complications from COVID-19, so it’s especially important that they get the information they need to protect themselves. But we also need to keep in mind that older adults who are able to follow public health guidance to stay home — and are missing their usual visits from family and friends — run a serious risk for loneliness and social isolation. And that can come with real health consequences.

So what’s a health communicator to do? How can we help older adults understand their risk and the need for social distancing while also addressing their need for social support?

We’ve got some ideas, dear readers! Use these tips to talk to older adults about coronavirus.

• Be specific about who you’re talking to. Many people age 65 and older don’t think of themselves as “older adults” or “at risk” — especially if they’re active and healthy. That means they may hear your carefully crafted message about “coronavirus and older adults” and think it’s for some old fogey down the street. So be specific about the age range you’re addressing.
• Brainstorm effective communication channels. Many older adults are getting an earful from their adult children about how to stay safe — but parents don’t always take lectures from their kids seriously. So think about other channels that older adults in your community trust. For example, it might make sense to develop a blurb for religious leaders to include in a church bulletin. Or create talking points for local health care providers to drop into email updates. Get creative to reach this audience.
• Normalize social distancing. Older adults may bristle at the suggestion that they’re vulnerable and need extra protection. So don’t be patronizing, and don’t make them feel like charity cases. Instead, normalize social distancing as something we all need to do. Explain that everyone needs to take steps to protect themselves and other people in their community — and that part has nothing to do with age.
• Appeal to their sense of community. You might not ever convince some people that they’re at risk. So talk about how staying home keeps the virus from spreading to other people. If they won’t take steps to protect themselves, they may take those same steps to protect their grandkids, their older neighbor, or the nurses at their local hospital.
• Offer practical information for staying safe and connected. Older adults may be less familiar with services and technology that can make social distancing easier. So connect them to social support in their community, like the local senior center — and spread the word about special grocery shopping hours for older adults. You can also share tips and ideas for how to stay connected with loved ones from afar: Read a book to your grandkids over Zoom! Set up phone check-ins a couple times a week!
• Encourage them to sacrifice themselves for the good of the economy. Just kidding. That would be absurd!

The bottom line: Help older adults get the information they need to stay safe and connected during the coronavirus outbreak.

Tweet about it: Wondering how to get your messages about #coronavirus across to older adults? @CommunicateHlth is here with tips to help you #communicateCOVID to people ages 65 and older: https://bit.ly/34L7gHc

With all the timely communication about coronavirus happening these days, we’ve been thinking a lot about how to improve COVID-19 materials.

In fact, dear readers, we went ahead and futzed with a certain postcard material you may have seen in your mailbox:

There’s some useful information here about how people can help slow the spread of coronavirus. But we couldn’t help thinking this postcard would be even more useful if it followed some health literacy best practices, like:

• Use everyday language
• Strike a conversational tone
• Emphasize your main message

The result?

We hope this kind of exercise can help us all communicate more clearly about coronavirus in the weeks and months to come.

The bottom line: Clear communication is more important than ever — so keep health literacy in mind when you communicate about coronavirus.

Tweet about it: What would the #coronavirus postcard look like if we designed it with #HealthLit in mind? @CommunicateHlth has some ideas: https://bit.ly/2UUuEhY #communicateCOVID

Whether you’re writing about what to call the coronavirus outbreak or how health officials are trying to limit its spread, it’s a lot to unpack! Information about COVID-19 can be confusing and overwhelming — for anyone.

Now imagine being a kid. Maybe your school closed with no warning. Maybe your parents are struggling to work from home — or worse, out of work. Maybe you heard that playdates with your friends are now… dangerous? And why is everyone freaking out about toilet paper?

Unsurprisingly, lots of kids are scared and confused. As health communicators, we can help kids understand what’s happening — and maybe calm their fears a little, too. Use these tips to communicate with kids about coronavirus:

• Keep it simple. We’re big fans of plain language for any audience, but it’s especially important when talking to kids. The news might say: “Public health officials urge citizens to refrain from all discretionary travel.” But you can go with: “It’s important to stay at home unless you really need to go somewhere — like to the doctor.”
• Be honest about what we know — and what we don’t. Stretching the truth to ease fear and anxiety might work in the short term, but that approach can backfire. If you tell kids (or even adults!) that everything will be back to normal very soon, they’ll feel betrayed and even more confused when the emergency lasts much longer.
• Emphasize the positive. Researchers have found that kids who get COVID-19 usually have only mild symptoms. You can explain this — and remind them that doctors and scientists are working hard to keep people safe and healthy.
• Fight racial stigma. Kids may have heard people (or, you know, a president) talking about the “Chinese virus.” This label spreads the dangerous lie that people of Chinese descent are responsible for the outbreak or more likely to have the disease. To help bust harmful myths like this one, make sure kids know that the way you look and the language you speak have nothing to do with spreading diseases.
• Tell kids what they can do to help. No one likes to feel helpless. Give kids simple steps they can take to help keep themselves and others healthy, like washing their hands, trying not to touch their faces, and staying at home. Throw in a few songs to sing during a handwashing session, too.
• Let kids feel however they feel. It’s important to normalize kids’ feelings — whatever those feelings may be. Scared your family will get sick? Totally normal. Sad you can’t play with your friends? Makes sense. Downright angry to be cooped up at home with your siblings? Understandable!

The bottom line: Be honest and empathetic when talking with kids about coronavirus.

Tweet about it: Talking to kids about #coronavirus? @CommunicateHlth shares tips for communicating with younger audiences: https://bit.ly/3bM8mVo

As health communicators, we know that writing for behavior change is a challenge — especially when recommendations are evolving quickly and time is of the essence.

With so many people worried about their health, their loved ones, and the massive economic impact of shutdowns and quarantines, COVID-19 is no laughing matter. So memes definitely aren’t the right fit for public health communication about coronavirus. Right?

Well, it might not be that simple, dear readers! Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some memes circulating that educate, engage, and add some much-needed levity to a stressful situation. In that spirit, this week we’re sharing a few timely memes we just ❤.

Wash Your Lyrics

Early on in the outbreak, good old handwashing was the name of the game. Easy shortcuts, like telling people to sing Happy Birthday twice, can help people wash their hands for the recommended 20 seconds without watching the clock. But having Happy Birthday stuck in your head for an entire 2-week quarantine isn’t good for anyone’s mental health.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other 20-second ditties to choose from! That’s the idea behind Wash Your Lyrics, a tool created by a UK college student that creates custom handwashing posters for any song your heart desires — from Dolly Parton to Daft Punk.

Cattening the Curve

As the outbreak progressed, public health messaging expanded to more complicated ideas like “flattening the curve.” And that inspired some more creative memes!

We all know cats and the internet go together like peanut butter and jelly. Epidemiologist Dr. Anne Marie Darling knows this, too — so she turned a basic “flatten the curve” public health graph (yawn) into an adorable kitty PSA about the importance of social distancing.

#QuarantineCats

Now that most of the country is well into quarantine territory, memes are emerging that play on the new normal of daily life under stay-at-home orders.

The #QuarantineCats Twitter hashtag may not have an obvious public health purpose, but this meme isn’t just raising people’s spirits: it’s also a clever use of social norming (and cute cat pictures) to encourage people to stay home and avoid spreading the virus.

The bottom line: COVID-19 is no joke — but we ❤ how memes can promote behavior change and help to spread time-sensitive public health messages.

Tweet about it: How can memes help fight #COVID19? @CommunicateHlth chats about the public health power of #CatteningTheCurve #QuarantineCats and #WashYourLyrics: https://bit.ly/2y6a1X3 #HealthLit

Here at We ❤ Health Literacy Headquarters, of course we’re paying close attention to health officials’ efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus. And we can’t help but notice they’re using lots of words that seem to mean the same thing — like isolation, quarantine, and social distancing.

As you’ve surely noticed, people are panicking — and confusing terms won’t help. The possibility that you’ll need to quarantine yourself is especially worrisome if you don’t really understand what that means!

As health communicators, our job isn’t just to report that isolation, quarantine, and social distancing are happening — it’s also to help people understand those terms. If you need a refresher yourself, check out our plain language definitions:

• Isolation is for people who already have the virus. It means keeping them separated from people who don’t have it. Hospitals are isolating people with COVID-19 from other patients, for example.
• Quarantine is for people who may have been exposed to the virus. It also means keeping them separated from other people — like a “wait and see” approach in case they turn out to be infected. This usually means staying at home and avoiding contact with other people for 14 days.
• Social distancing is for everyone! It’s a catchall term for a variety of efforts to prevent the virus from spreading in communities by keeping people farther apart. When schools close or sporting events are canceled, that’s social distancing. Or when a restaurant seats its customers at least 6 feet apart? Yep, social distancing.

And what’s with the 6-feet rule, you ask? That’s how far experts think respiratory droplets containing coronavirus can travel through the air when someone sneezes or coughs.

Oh, and while you’re helping your audiences understand all these words, make sure they know what a pandemic is. And try to bust a few coronavirus myths and misconceptions while you’re at it.

The bottom line: If you’re writing about isolation, quarantine, and social distancing, explain these terms in words your readers understand.

Tweet about it: Need to explain isolation, quarantine, and social distancing in your #coronavirus #HealthLit materials? @CommunicateHlth can help: https://bit.ly/2U10EAu

You probably know a thing or 2 about the coronavirus pandemic by now. Or is it an epidemic? Outbreak? Wait… what’s the difference?

Health professionals and journalists have been throwing these terms around a lot lately. But since most people don’t know exactly what a pandemic or epidemic is — or how they’re different — the words aren’t all that helpful. You might even call them a little scary (okay, more like panic inducing).

As health communicators, we can resist the urge to hop on this viral jargon bandwagon. (“All the cool health experts are saying it!”) Instead, we can explain these terms in plain language — and help people feel a little less panicky while we’re at it.

Not sure you fully understand the difference between an outbreak, an epidemic, and a pandemic? Don’t worry, dear readers — we’re here for you.

First, let’s clear up the misconception that these terms refer to a disease’s severity. Not so! They’re actually about how widespread a disease is. With that in mind, here’s what you and your readers need to know:

• An outbreak is a sudden, unexpected increase in the number of people with a disease — usually in a relatively small geographic area, like a city. Think a cluster of TB cases in Chicago.
• An epidemic is an outbreak that spreads to a large geographic area, like a whole country or region. Think Ebola in West Africa in 2016.
• A pandemic happens when an outbreak goes global, covering several countries or continents. Think the flu in 1918 — or, you know, COVID-19 right about now.

To be clear, there’s some flexibility in these definitions. You may have noticed, for example, that health professionals continued to call the coronavirus outbreak an epidemic even after it spread to several countries beyond China. That’s partly because, at the time, most of the cases outside China were still related to people who traveled to China.

Health experts don’t always agree on when it’s time to start calling an epidemic a pandemic either. Lucky for you, making that call isn’t your job. You just get to write about it!

But rather than focusing too much on how to classify coronavirus, how about fighting myths and misconceptions by sharing accurate information with your audiences? And maybe throw in a few tips for preventing the spread of coronavirus, too!

The bottom line: “Outbreak,” “epidemic,” and “pandemic” are commonly misunderstood, fear-inducing words. If you need to use one, explain it clearly — and try not to dwell on it.

Tweet about it: Writing about #coronavirus? Confused about the difference between an outbreak, an epidemic, and a pandemic? @CommunicateHlth can help: https://bit.ly/3aLGS1m