Look for the Helpers.

Well I’ve been home a week today, and besides sleeping very well at night, I’m feeling sort of useless. As of right now I’m not needed back until next week, and until our new data collection system is up and running, there won’t be much I can do remotely to help my colleagues overseas. While I’m insanely thankful to be home, with my husband, who still has his job and brings me oat milk lattes every morning (the real MVP,) as someone with an medical degree I’m feeling pretty restless right now, wanting to help out but not sure where to go from here.

So I decided to come up with a short list of ways to help from home during this pandemic. I’m sure this list isn’t exhaustive, and it certainly isn’t much of a contribution compared to those on the frontlines of this crisis (not just nurses and doctors, but those keeping the grocery stores stocked, delivering much-needed supplies, running tests, organizing response logistics…the list goes on…) I’m pretty sure its better than binge-watching the rest of Mad Men on Netflix.

Stay home. This cannot be emphasized enough. And I think most people get it. We’re starting to sound like broken records at this point. But to the Evangeline Lilys of the world, who think this is some thinly veiled mechanism to slowly redact our freedoms…just stop. If you care more about your freedom than the life of your immuno-compromised friend, your elderly parent, the physicians, nurses and other health workers who risk their lives for us every day…. Then I don’t think there’s anything anyone can say to make you listen. But if those people matter even one iota to you, please stay home.

 Donate your masks and protective equipment. Hospitals in New York, Boston, and pretty much anywhere with a lot of Covid-19 cases are running critically low on masks and other personal protective equipment. Currently at my job we are being rationed one mask per shift, and other hospitals only have enough for one mask per week per health worker. Please help us help you, and donate any unused masks or protective equipment you may have to the nearest hospital.

Donate to support others in need. Global crises always have a way of disproportionately harming society’s most vulnerable groups. School closures and job disruptions have left even more people than usual going hungry both in the United States and Globally. Food banks can help safely deliver needed supplies to those who are most in need (check out feedingamerica.org to see how you can help,) and WHO provides much-needed supplies and support to Covid-19 responses in low-income countries. Check out the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund for more details.

Shop small. It’s probably no surprise to anyone that small businesses are suffering. If your budget allows, ordering a gift card, or having food delivered from your favorite local restaurant, can help keep places going while their business has otherwise screeched to a halt. Don’t forget to tip well; those in the service industry have just lost the majority of their income (maybe a sign that the tipping culture in the U.S. is an epic fail, and we need to pay everyone a fair wage? What a novel idea…) If you know any artists, makers or musicians, consider ordering from their online shop if they have one, or venmoing a few bucks in exchange for a virtual serenade (I did this with @Castroviolin who plays beautifully in both famous halls and the NYC subway and it was lovely.)

Show your kind side. It sounds dumb but I really do believe our attitudes and behavior can impact others in small and meaningful ways. Thank the grocery store workers who are showing up to make sure you can buy food and toilet paper for the week. Facetime with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, and check up on family members who may live alone and feel especially isolated and vulnerable right now. If you’re able, Venmo a few dollars to friends or family in the healthcare workforce to get themselves a coffee or a snack during this stressful time. And make sure you’re being kind to yourself- eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise indoors if you can, and allow yourself the space to process this crazy new world we live in however helps you best. Just be sure to reach out to loved ones or a trusted mental health provider if you feel like its getting to be too much.

Thoughts? Any other ideas about how to help during these strange times? Let me know!

Stay safe and healthy,