Media Distancing from Coronavirus
We’re careful about our physical exposure to COVID-19. We should safeguard our mental exposure to it as well. The deluge of information not only steals time, it can flood our thoughts. Here are some of my strategies for staying informed without feeding panic.
I try to be deliberate identifying trusted and relevant sources for news, and then I avoid being distracted by other sites or articles, especially if they have inflammatory titles like this one that came to my inbox: Terrifying Lung Failure from COVID-19. I only go to sources that aren’t on my personal “approved” list to find an answer to a specific question. Even then, I stay focused on my inquiry.
Restricting the amount of time I allocate to catching up on pandemic news has helped a lot. I check once or twice a day, leaving a news-free window in the hour or so before bed if possible. This buffer zone helps me get to sleep and stay asleep, and the processing and integrating functions of sleep are especially helpful when there is so much to make sense of right now.
Balancing the pandemic news I take in with content that feeds my soul and reminds me of how creative, funny, strong and resourceful we are helps my focus and sense of equilibrium.
Choose the sites that work for you—this is my list.
World Heath Organization Coronavirus Disease 2019. I like a global perspective. There is a live media briefing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the video and its transcript are available any time. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Cases & Latest Updates https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/index.html and Information for Healthcare Professionals https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Helpful, up-to-date dashboard. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Worldometer Coronavirus (and world population statistics) displayed by day or month. This Chinese resource was established in 2004, pools data from multiple sites make short-term extrapolations, and has been reviewed as highly reliable. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/#daily-cases. It’s interesting to get the mile-high view by checking out the population statistics https://www.worldometers.info.
PBS New Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/.
I selectively view The New York Times, The Washington Post, professional organization websites (American College of Surgeons, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons), The New Yorker, Medium, and state health department sites.
