The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published new videos in Spanish for the COVID-19 and Flu public education campaign. Share these 30- and 60-second videos in Spanish featuring Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ¿Son seguras para nosotros las vacunas contra el COVID? FAQ1 30-  and 60-second ¿Tienen los latinos mayores de 65 años más riesgos de enfermedades graves por COVID? FAQ2 30– and 60-second.

The 2021 Messaging Guidebook: Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is based on American Cancer Society market research findings, is now available. The guidebook serves to assist health systems, cancer centers, healthcare providers, patient navigators, and cancer coalitions in efforts to resume preventive cancer care. The ACS is also sharing the Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issue Brief which is an abbreviated version of the guidebook. And do not forget, March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!

The Health Information Technology, Evaluation and Quality Center (HITEQ) in a new resource highlights promising practices in virtual integrated behavioral health care from community health centers who rapidly transitioned to new mechanisms of care delivery through the shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. These practices are generated from observations in group and individual conversations with health center leaders, primary care association staff, and behavioral health practitioners over a three-month period in Fall 2020. This document is intended to spark adaptation and improvement by providing a brief snapshot into the tremendous creativity and hard work that has characterized health center operations since the start of the pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization on Monday for a rapid at-home COVID-19 test that delivers results without the use of an outside laboratory. The QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test must be obtained via prescription and can be used by individuals 14 and older, or individuals eight and older as long as an adult collects the nasal swab sample. The test can be prescribed by a healthcare provider for individuals who are within six days of symptom onset.

Despite the progress, COVID-19 numbers in the U.S. are still alarmingly high. Experts are cautioning that they could quickly climb even higher if Americans let up now, and don’t retain current masking and other precautions for at least several more months, especially as the incidence of variants is on the rise. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, who was a health adviser for the Obama White House and was a member of the Biden Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, said, “We’re still having on average 2,000 deaths a day. We cannot become inured to that.”

Business Roundtable, the voice of America’s top CEOs, last week launched “Move the Needle,” a campaign to support President Biden in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, increasing vaccine uptake and encouraging masks. In the announcement, Business Roundtable president and CEO Josh Bolten said, “Masks and vaccines are working. Now is the time to keep at it, overcome pandemic fatigue, and double down on the measures that will end this public health and economic crisis.” Pushing the hashtag #IGottheShot, the campaign aims to ramp up engagement with employees, suppliers and customers to advance wider and consistent adoption of COVID-19 safety practices and vaccines. The White House also announced alliances with top business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, and leaders in Hispanic, African American and other minority business organizations to help organizations provide accurate and up to date information to their employees and customers.