Reflecting on my Service Project
Throughout the Spring semester of 2021, I was enrolled in LAS 199: COVID-19: Action for Solutions course. Not only did I view this class as an opportunity to learn more about the current state of the pandemic at Illinois and within the larger community, but I also played an active role in addressing challenges associated with the pandemic too.
During the semester, I assisted with a project for the organization, SAGE Enactus. I wrote to an older adult was my penpal during the spring semester. The focus of the project was to record the lived experience of older adults during COVID-19 and to take into account their unique lived experiences.
This project was personally rewarding in that I gained an inside scoop into the personal life of someone living in another location that I was during COVID. Additionally, the pandemic continues to present unique challenges to older populations such as social isolation, fear of hospitalizations, and a fear of mortality due to the presence of pre-existing conditions. I recognized several trends throughout my correspondence with my penpal. Namely, the adjustment to new traditions and ways of living were very prominent themes I recognized throughout the letters.
As I learned during this semester's readings and lectures, mental health became a very important and exigent topic during this time as more activities moved to remote formatting. On the same hand, limited access to communities and social groups continues to not only impact adults my age, but also older adults too.
As I completed my project, my penpal was excited to share her stories and was equally as excited to learn more about my life too. While we never met in person, of course, my penpal and I created a community within the written correspondence that we had throughout the Spring.
As a Community Health student, this project connects to what I've learned regarding mental health, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, and about the older population in the United States. When the pandemic first began, the media mainly focused on older populations, as they faced the most serious complications once they contracted the virus. However, as the country gets closer to "returning back to normal", older adults still grapple with living by themselves during this time and having to adjust to a landmark event among several others during their lifetime.
As we continue to progress towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stories of the most vulnerable populations must be recognized and celebrated. The challenges older communities continue to overcome during this time serve as precedent for how we prepare and address the next public health emergency. While social distancing is immensely helpful for reducing transmission of the virus, the social and mental health challenges associated with it continue to serve as barriers for us all, especially those who are older.
"While we never met in person...my penpal and I created a community"
Surviving the "Infodemic"
Lack of sound public health messaging is a major barrier against slowing the spread of the virus and promotes risky behaviors. Rebuilding the public's trust with credible sources is essential moving forward.
Researchers at the John's HopkinsUniversity and Michigan State University mention that communication "is received and processed through individual and social prisms". Also, the channels for health communication are changing, which in turn, presents challenges for influencing positive health behaviors (Rimal & Lapinski, 2009). In the age of social media, access to less credible news sources, and word of mouth, the lack of sound health communication circling during the pandemic is glaring.
The World Health Organization defines an infodemic as, "An overabundance of information--some accurate and some not--rendering it difficult to find trustworthy sources of information and reliable guidance" (WHO). As Americans try their hardest to keep themselves and their loved ones as safe as possible, many have trouble discerning which information is sound and trustworthy. Such misinformation can have negative outcomes on the health and safety of individuals.
As the pandemic continues and once the pandemic comes to a close, the status of once reputable health-related sources remains in jeopardy. As public trust continues to erode, individuals may refuse to seek their information from trusted sources such as the CDC, the WHO, and the new administration in the White House.
Access to sound health information is not only paramount for the general public, but health information must be inclusive of marginalized populations as well. Guidance regarding social distancing "should be modified for people who use drugs, who live in shelters, or who are involved in sex work" (The Lancet).As the health communication landscape hopefully moves forward and improves after the pandemic, professionals cannot forget to include under-resourced groups in that conversation.
Hearing the following statements is very common everywhere we go: "stay at least six feet apart," "wash your hands frequently,"and, "stay home if you're sick". While these continue to serve as helpful reminders for health behaviors that may prevent us from getting sick, I argue that false information regarding the virus and health behaviors themselves has the potential to increase the rate of COVID-19 infections.