COVID-19 Resources

H/COVID-19 Resources

Updated August 2021

Public Health Guidance

Preventing the Spread

COVID-19 Vaccine — Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine if you are able to is the best way to protect yourself and others who are not able to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 Vaccines (Smithsonian) New
The Smithsonian has put together a wealth of resources on the different COVID-19 vaccines, how they work, why they are effective, and how important they are.
Kids and Vaccines: What You Need to Know (NY Hall of Science) New
NYSCI & ECRC Present: Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccination

Face Masks — Masks are a proven way to help protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19.

The Science of Masks (Bakken Museum) New
The Bakken Museum has developed a series of videos and activities to help educators and parents unpack serious concepts in a fun and engaging way with kids in kindergarten to 12th grade. Use these guides to explore different factors that make some masks more effective than others at filtering the air we breathe every day.

Resources for Families and Kids

COVID-19 Tools and Resources (Smithsonian) New
The Smithsonian has curated resources from different science centers and institutes that answer some common vaccine questions.
COVID-19! How Can I Protect Myself and Others? (Smithsonian Science Education Center)
This free guide for youth from the SSEC is available in 24 different languages.
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute)
Experts from the Child Mind Institute offer a helpful video on how to talk to your kids about the coronavirus. Kids worry more when they’re kept in the dark.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (PBS Kids)
PBS Kids offers conversation guides for talking to your kids about COVID-19. Plus, there are some helpful links to PBS Kids videos on practicing healthy habits.

Virology 101: The Biology of Viruses and Viral Diseases

SARS-CoV-2 – Learning more about the virus helps us understand the prevention strategies recommended by scientists.

How Big is a Virus? (Exploratorium)
Visualize how small a coronavirus really is by imagining a world where a human is 1 foot wide.
How the Novel Coronavirus and the Flu Are Alike…And Different (NPR)
Find out how they compare in terms of symptoms, transmission, severity, and treatment.
How Viruses Replicate and Cause Viral Diseases (The Amoeba Sisters, YouTube)
See how viruses differ from bacteria and learn why antibiotics are not effective for COVID-19.

Coronavirus tests – A sample from a nasal swab is placed through a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) process to detect genetic information specific to the virus.

How Does Coronavirus Testing Work and Will We Have a Home Test Soon? (New Scientist)
Learn about efforts being made to find ways to quickly and accurately test large numbers of people.
Secret Codon: Write a Message in DNA (Exploratorium)
In this demonstration, see how a DNA sequence can be modeled as colored beads on a string.
Introduction to PCR (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Vaccines – Bacteria and viruses are very different, so they require different medical treatments.

Antibiotics, Antivirals, and Vaccines (The Amoeba Sisters, YouTube)
Learn how your body’s immune system fights pathogens and why antibiotics won’t help with a viral disease.

Evaluating Information You Read About the Coronavirus –

Can You Believe It? Seven Questions to Ask About Any Scientific Claim (Exploratorium)
Advice for how non-experts can separate science fact from science fiction.