Stay connected virtually for your health on #MayoClinicConnect

"Our purpose for creating a group dedicated to COVID-19 is to help people stay socially connected, virtually," says Colleen Young, Mayo Clinic Connect Community Director. "We want to help reduce isolation and anxiety, and to provide a place where people can find purpose and action to care for themselves and stay healthy."

"A terrific resource: #MayoClinicConnect hosts a number of online discussion groups for patients/family caregivers on how #COVID19 can affect your diagnosis." - Connect Member

The article below was written by Connect Moderator Lisa Lucier.

In these rapidly changing times, you may feel uncertain and anxious with the COVID-19 virus looming. At the same time, our society is more fragmented than ever before. You may be cut off from some of your normal support systems, with businesses closing or directing employees to remote work, mass gatherings no longer occurring and activities cancelled.

Recognizing that these conditions can easily produce social isolation — and perhaps a degree of loneliness and fear — the Mayo Clinic Connect community is here to offer you virtual support and interaction, through online community discussion. 

It’s time to come together, virtually, to talk about anything that’s affecting you related to COVID-19, with a brand new Connect group, simply called COVID-19. This is a space to talk about topics such as: 

• Closings in your community and how it affects you.
• What you are doing to cope.
• Whether keeping up your book club or running group makes sense.
• How you can pass the time.
• Housekeeping and disinfecting your home.
• How to deal with your own or your children’s fears. 
• Being helpful to others in a challenging time. 

It’s also a space to congregate and be socially active. You can:

• Join the virtual walking group.
• Tour virtual museums together.
• Share art, music and books.
• Find daily escapes and inspirations.

Additionally, Mayo Clinic Connect would like to point you to reliable sources for COVID-19 coverage: 

• Mayo Clinic News Network’s up-to-date news and information https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/category/covid-19/
• Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• The World Health Organization’s updates and resources https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

You can stay informed and also socially connected by chatting with others on Mayo Clinic Connect about COVID-19 and any other health issue concerning you right now. You can continue to connect with your Connect friends in the groups you already follow. And you can also get inspiration and information, and talk with others in the new COVID-19 Support Group. 

How might connecting virtually help you stay socially active? What topic would you like to start? Join us!

Check the CDC website for additional updates on COVID-19.
For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

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