As we all know, the spread of H1N1 is currently making its way across the states of North Dakota and Minnesota. With any hot-button issue, we all know the amount of misinformation that is reported and the bad decisions that are made in the heat of the moment exponentially increase. This pandemic is no exception.
This morning I attended a meeting held by Fargo Cass Public Health for local health care officials, school leaders, and employee service centers. In the two hours that we met, almost 45 minutes was spent dispelling rumors and setting the record straight. My notebook is filled with scratched out notes and new notes scribbled into the margins to replace the “bad” information.
Tonight on the news, an announcement was made that Fort Yates, a reservation school that straddles the North and South Dakota borders, has closed for the remainder of the week due to high absentee rates. However, this decision is not one that has been recommended by local, state, or national agencies. In fact, it goes against the current recommendation that states that schools should stay open as long as possible even with confirmed cases of H1N1.
The meeting this morning and the announcement from Fort Yates makes me wonder when public health officials are going to start being more proactive and visible about recommendations and expectations of all organizations as the pandemic intensifies.
Perhaps a Twitter account, like the one VCSU had during the flood, would be a good way to communicate the ever-changing information to everyone that needs to know. A blog or podcast would also be a great step to take. However, those may be more time consuming to update, and with the daily change of information, this may not be a feasible option.
Something we talked about during our morning meeting was having the state open a telephone hotline where all calls, no matter where they originated, would be transferred for information about H1N1. This could help alleviate the amount of misinformation that the metro area is currently dealing with.
If dealing with a pandemic isn’t stressful enough, it has become impossible to trust any of the information you hear from people or sources you typically trust. Unless I see it on the FCPH or the CDC website, I have started to doubt everything I’ve heard.
One little tidbit to leave you with...get in to get your seasonal flu shot as soon as you can; don’t wait until the H1N1 vaccine is available. Who knows when there will be enough of the vaccine to give to us “common folk?” Remember, they have to vaccinate the high risk groups first!!
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Social Media is like a Weed - Popping up Everywhere!
If you have ever purchased a new vehicle, have you ever experienced that feeling that everyone in your community either drives the same vehicle as you do or has one the same color? Have you ever purchased a really neat gadget, thinking you were so on top of things, and then realized that everyone you see has the same gadget?
Well, that is how I have been feeling lately in regard to social media tools. Before this class started, social media tools were not in the forefront of my mind. I did not spend hours each day on Facebook or Twitter or BlogSpot; I knew they existed, but was not an avid user or consumer. Now, it seems that everywhere I turn I see or hear references to one tool or another.
Very early this morning (Tuesday), a student from Shanley High School was found dead in his home, perhaps from a “big hit” he sustained during a high school football last night. Friends of mine have a son that knew Nick from summer football camps, and he told me that I would not believe the number of hits Nick’s Facebook page had received by the end of school today. Not only do students use their pages as a way to keep friends updated, they also use them as a sort of virtual memorial to a lost friend. Although wrapped in sadness, the concept is extremely cool, especially for when the family is ready to view the page.
This afternoon, some students at West Fargo High School discovered a low level threat written on the bathroom wall. Almost before district administration could be notified, students had texted, e-mailed, or tweeted to people outside the building about what had been found. If the threat had been more serious, parents would probably have been on the scene before administration arrived from the district office! This ability of students to inform their parents and other outside people with the tapping of a few keys makes work tough for school officials. If discussing this type of message wasn’t hard enough, they now have to do it ASAP, so as not to be beaten by a text from a student.
The women’s group that I am a part of met last week to discuss how we want to keep our group together over the years, and the unanimous choice was by creating a Facebook group. I was one of two people that had to make the announcement of shame that I did not have a Facebook account, but would promise to get one so we can make good on this group. I am still unsure why we had to move away from e-mailing; it seemed to work just fine for the last ten months, but apparently e-mail is so last season :)
Finally, I received an e-mail notification of a sale at one of my favorite clothing stores, Ann Taylor Loft. At the bottom of the e-mail, underneath the photographs of the sale items, was a little box that said “Find Us on Facebook!” Holy cow! When did clothing stores get Facebook accounts, and what the heck do they use them for?!
All in all, social media tools are popping up all over the place, sometimes where you least expect them to. Look out world; even if you’re not ready for social media, it’s ready and knocking down the door for us!
Well, that is how I have been feeling lately in regard to social media tools. Before this class started, social media tools were not in the forefront of my mind. I did not spend hours each day on Facebook or Twitter or BlogSpot; I knew they existed, but was not an avid user or consumer. Now, it seems that everywhere I turn I see or hear references to one tool or another.
Very early this morning (Tuesday), a student from Shanley High School was found dead in his home, perhaps from a “big hit” he sustained during a high school football last night. Friends of mine have a son that knew Nick from summer football camps, and he told me that I would not believe the number of hits Nick’s Facebook page had received by the end of school today. Not only do students use their pages as a way to keep friends updated, they also use them as a sort of virtual memorial to a lost friend. Although wrapped in sadness, the concept is extremely cool, especially for when the family is ready to view the page.
This afternoon, some students at West Fargo High School discovered a low level threat written on the bathroom wall. Almost before district administration could be notified, students had texted, e-mailed, or tweeted to people outside the building about what had been found. If the threat had been more serious, parents would probably have been on the scene before administration arrived from the district office! This ability of students to inform their parents and other outside people with the tapping of a few keys makes work tough for school officials. If discussing this type of message wasn’t hard enough, they now have to do it ASAP, so as not to be beaten by a text from a student.
The women’s group that I am a part of met last week to discuss how we want to keep our group together over the years, and the unanimous choice was by creating a Facebook group. I was one of two people that had to make the announcement of shame that I did not have a Facebook account, but would promise to get one so we can make good on this group. I am still unsure why we had to move away from e-mailing; it seemed to work just fine for the last ten months, but apparently e-mail is so last season :)
Finally, I received an e-mail notification of a sale at one of my favorite clothing stores, Ann Taylor Loft. At the bottom of the e-mail, underneath the photographs of the sale items, was a little box that said “Find Us on Facebook!” Holy cow! When did clothing stores get Facebook accounts, and what the heck do they use them for?!
All in all, social media tools are popping up all over the place, sometimes where you least expect them to. Look out world; even if you’re not ready for social media, it’s ready and knocking down the door for us!
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