Resources
Improving health literacy in your community starts with the right materials.
Health literacy is someone's ability to find, understand, and communicate health information to make appropriate decisions about their health.
Health literacy is very important in communities; it’s what allows people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to best take care of themselves and their families. It also helps us to prevent health problems and protect ourselves and communities when problems arise.
So what does this mean for COVID-19?
With new recommendations about COVID-19 coming out everyday, it’s important for communities to be able to understand and take action on the knowledge they are receiving. Without proper health literacy, misinformation and fear about COVID-19 could arise, and lack of information puts individuals in danger of spreading the virus to their friends, families, and loved ones.
Want to learn more about how to best approach health literacy in your community?
The following resources have been created with health literacy in mind and offer clear explanations of important information in various formats that are sure to fit your needs.
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Use the dropdowns to sort recommendations according to your community needs.
 How to Wear a Face MaskDiagram of how to properly wear a face mask. |  COVID-19 Became a Leading Cause of DeathGraphic to emphasize the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to other health complications. |  Tips for Elders and Their Caregivers About COVID-19How to keep elders safe including safe alternative leisure activities. What caregivers can do to protect themselves. |
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 Preparing Caregivers for COVID-19Detailed steps of what to do to make sure that a caregiver and the person they watch over are adequately prepared for the pandemic. |  COVID-19 Digital Health AssistantA chatbot that offers real-time advice and news updates. |  Are You Ready? COVID-19 FactsheetSimple explanation of cause, symptoms, and prevention in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese. |
 Direct Care Call LineOpen call line that answers questions and provides resource recommendations. Staffed by trained volunteers. |  Share facts about COVID-19Handout meant to make clear the facts surrounding COVID-19 in the face of mass information. |  Instructions for Patients with Cough or Trouble BreathingExample positions to help get air to all parts of your lungs. |
 Guidance for Living in Shared HousingExplanation of how to prepare and live within shared spaces while minimizing virus spread. |  COVID-19 Self-assessment ToolSeries of questions that produce recommended action based on symptoms. |  COVID-19 Misinformation QuizQuiz that aims to test your knowledge of recently released health information while correcting misconceptions. |
 COVID-19 Self CheckerAutomated conversational tool that allows for symptom check and personal protection advice. |  Interpreting COVID-19 Test ResultsInterpretation of test results and recommended action based on those results. |