Coronavirus Resource Page

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The American Academy of Nursing calls for a rapid response as the Coronavirus continues to spread. Below is a timeline summarizing actions the Academy has taken in response to this novel disease along with additional resources and actions taken by the federal government. 

This is a rapidly evolving situation and the Academy will be continuously updating this page with additional news and resources. Please note this is meant for informational purposes and is not an exhaustive list.

Academy Actions

2021
December 9
As we enter the winter season, the Academy supports the Biden-Harris Administration efforts to keep our communities safe against the Delta and Omicron COVID-19 Variants. bit.ly/3y5btnA
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July 26
The Academy, along with over 50 other professional health care organizations, signed onto a letter to call for required COVID-19 vaccines for all health care and long-term care workers
. Read more. Because of highly contagious variants, including the Delta variant, and significant numbers of unvaccinated people, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are once again rising throughout the United States and globally. As noted in the letter, the Academy agrees that vaccination is the primary way to put the pandemic behind us and avoid the return of stringent public health measures. Read more about the Academy’s position on immunizations.

June 22

The Academy, along with over 200 other organizations, signed on to a letter to Congressional leaders in support of the
 Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA, S. 674). This legislation would establish a Core Public Health Infrastructure Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), awarding grants to health departments to ensure they have the tools, workforce, and systems in place to address existing and emerging health threats and reduce health disparities. Read more.

2020
December 14

The Academy sent a letter to 
President-Elect Joe Biden, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, and their Administration outlining ways in which the Academy can assist the Administration on a number of healthcare issues including on the Academy's COVID-19 pandemic priorities: protect our most vulnerable populations; support nurses and healthcare systems; and increase access to testing as well as a vaccine to end this pandemic. Read more.

December
The Academy participated in the American Hospital Association's Wear a Mask campaign on social media through a series of posts

September 4
The Academy submitted comments to the
 National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus regarding the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Children, Adolescent, and Family Expert Panel as well as the Emerging Infectious Diseases Expert Panels contributed to these comments. Read more. Read more.

August 3
The Academy, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, launched the COVID-19 Courage Award to honor the incredible contributions of nurses. Read more.

July 9
The Academy signed onto a letter requesting Congress to 
add maternal and infant health components to the Cures 2.0 Act. The letter stressed that issues of access to maternity care, workforce shortages, and outcome disparities must be addressed as part of the pandemic response. Read more.

June 2
The Academy released a statement arguing US membership in the World Health Organization must remain a priority for global health. Read more. 

April 30
The Academy sent a letter to House and Senate leaders with recommendations on further actions that Congress should take in order to address the coronavirus pandemic. Academy staff collated, synthesized, and summarized input and recommendations from our 24 Expert Panels under 3 major themes in the letter: 
(1) protect our most vulnerable populations, (2) support nurses and healthcare providers, and (3) increase access, scale, speed and accuracy of testingRead the full letter.

April 17
The Academy released a statement, World Health Organization Funding is Vital to Combat the Coronavirus and Ensure Health Equity.

April 9
The Academy shared a press release highlighting a white paper published by the Academy and the American Red Cross titled “Closing the Gaps: Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for Older Adults.” This timely study found that while disaster preparedness is vital for people of all ages, older adults are more vulnerable and experience more casualties after a natural disaster or emergency due to several factors. Past-Chair of the Aging Expert Panel, Wanda Spurlock, DNS, RN-BC, CNE, FNGNA, ANEF, FAAN, served as co-chair for the project.

March 26


Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN, provided the opening keynote for the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Conference. She discussed the Academy's priorities and response to the pandemic as well as the importance of owning your influence. Watch her full remarks.

March 24
Academy leadership sent a message to our Fellows thanking them for their efforts to provide care to patients in need, offer support to families, educate the public, and provide leadership to address fears and misconceptions within their communities. In addition, the Academy sent a message to our CANS members as well on March 27, 2020.

March 23
The Academy sent a letter requesting Congress work quickly and pass critical legislation with increased resources needed for nurses, healthcare providers, hospitals, as well as the public health and research infrastructures to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

March 22
The Academy sent a letter to the President urging for heightened federal action and calling for immediate use of his authority under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase production of critically needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies for nurses and healthcare workers as the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic becomes increasingly dire.



Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx's interview on MSNBC on protecting the nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic. The Academy continues to call for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so that nurses and all healthcare providers can remain in care settings. Their health and safety are paramount during this pandemic.

March 20
The Academy, along with other health organizations, signed onto a letter to Vice President Pence, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer to urge the Administration and Congress to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available to all health care systems, facilities, and providers to ensure safe working environments during the current COVID-19 pandemic and any future crisis. Read more.

March 19

Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx's interview on CNN discusses the need to ramp up the response to the coronavirus, emphasizing the demand for the right equipment and protecting vulnerable populations living in crowded spaces.

March 18


At a White House Briefing on the Coronavirus, Academy leadership joined other national nursing organizations to discuss pressing issues related to the pandemic’s deepening impact on the public’s health and the nursing profession’s ability to provide care. Academy CEO, Suzanne Miyamoto, PhD, RN, FAAN emphasized the importance of protecting the most vulnerable populations, supporting nurses on the frontlines, and increasing access, scale, speed, and accuracy of testing. 

Read the Academy's statement.

March 17

President Sullivan-Marx was interviewed on Yahoo Finance. Dr. Sullivan-Marx discussed the need to increase testing and warned of the burdens that may be placed on our hospital systems. ""You need testing to understand where the pockets of disease are and where it's emerging... I think it's going to be a huge test for our system."

March 10
The Academy released a statement calling for caution and care as the coronavirus continues to spread. Focus remains on protecting the health of vulnerable populations, including older adults, individuals with preexisting conditions, and those with immunodeficiencies. 

Read the Academy's Statement

March 5

FAAN Mail's message from President Sullivan-Marx outlines the Academy’s focus at the policy level and how the expertise of our Fellows will be of assistance as further information unfolds. We want to hear from you as Fellows, nationally and internationally, the impact on the ground and where the Academy can provide support.

February 28
The Academy, along with other health organizations, signed onto a letter to Members of Congress expressing concern for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) public health emergency. The letter also urged congressional appropriators to act swiftly and decisively to provide robust support for key domestic public health and healthcare programs, medical countermeasure development, global preparedness programs and response mechanisms, and international partnerships, in order to mitigate the impacts of the virus.

Read more
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Media Requests

For media requests and/or questions related to the Academy's response, please contact Caroline Kane, Chief Advancement Officer, at ckane@aannet.org.

Resources

COVID Digest Newsletter

2021

12.9 COVID-19 Digest

9.23 COVID-19 Digest

8.25 COVID-19 Digest

7.14 COVID-19 Digest

6.9 COVID-19 Digest

5.12 COVID-19 Digest

4.14 COVID-19 Digest

3.26 COVID-19 Digest

3.12 COVID-19 Digest

2.26 COVID-19 Digest

2.12 COVID-19 Digest

1.29 COVID-19 Digest


2020

12.11 COVID-19 Digest

11.13 COVID-19 Digest

10.16 COVID-19 Digest 

9.25 COVID-19 Digest

9.11 COVID-19 Digest

8.28 COVID-19 Digest 

8.14 COVID-19 Digest

7.24 COVID-19 Digest

7.10 COVID-19 Digest

6.26 COVID-19 Digest

6.12 COVID-19 Digest

5.29 COVID-19 Digest

5.22 COVID-19 Digest

5.15 COVID-19 Digest

5.8 COVID-19 Digest

5.1 COVID-19 Digest

4.24 COVID-19 Digest

4.17 COVID-19 Digest

4.10 COVID-19 Digest

4.3 COVID-19 Digest

3.27 COVID-19 Digest

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Center for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

American Nurses Association

Patient Provider Communication Toolkit:
Supporting Communication with Coronavirus Patients

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Source: John's Hopkins University

John's Hopkins University offers a free course with Future Learn, Effective Nursing in Times of Crisis.