Dear SuSanA members,
 
this thread presents a good opportunity to collect sources of COVID-19 & WASH related information and news. Thank you, Sean, for starting it.
 
Here is a list of websites, that might help to keep us all updated on recent developments and maybe reveal some topics for further discussion:
 
Guidance/ Factsheets/ News – WASH 
 

• WHO – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: infection prevention and control/ WASH:
  www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-c...evention-and-control
  
  
• UN Water – Coronavirus global health emergency: water and sanitation related information from UN-Water members and partners:  
  www.unwater.org/coronavirus-global-health-emergency/
  
  
•  SWA (Sanitation and Water for All) – resources and tools around COVID-19 and WASH:
  https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/about/about-us/water-sanitation-hygiene/covid-19-and-wash
  
  
• WEF (Water Environment Federation) – the Water Professional’s Guide to COVID-19:
  https://www.wef.org/news-hub/wef-news/the-water-professionals-guide-to-the-2019-novel-coronavirus
  
  
• IWA (International Water Association) – information resources on water and COVID-19:
  iwa-network.org/news/information-resourc...-water-and-covid-19/
  
  
• GHP (Global Handwashing Partnership) – links/ resources on Coronavirus:
  https://globalhandwashing.org/topic/coronavirus/
  
  
• Global WASH Cluster – COVID-19 WASH resources:
  https://washcluster.net/Covid-19-resources
  
  
• IRC & USAID – news, opinions and resources:
  sanitationupdates.blog/
  
  
• Rural Water Supply Network – Blog:
  rwsn.blog/ 
  
  
• Worldbank – WASH and COVID-19:
  https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/wash-water-sanitation-hygiene-and-covid-19#priority
  
  
• Toilet Board Coalition – COVID-19 and the sanitation economy: 
  www.toiletboard.org/resources
  
  
• COVID-19 Hygiene Hub (LSHTM, CAWST, Wash'Em):
  hygienehub.info/covid-19
  
  
• WASH in Health Care Facilities - COVID-19 page: 
  www.washinhcf.org/about/
  
  
• Sanitation Capacity Building Platform (India's NIUA & NFSSMA) - COVID-19 and safe sanitation practices for urban context - guidance material repository:
  scbp.niua.org/response-to-covid-19
  
  
• Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Collective - COVID-19 and menstruation resources and articles:
  docs.google.com/document/d/1qPQspbiWSWsf...PLAkslhRDYsCLRs/edit
  
  
• Globalwaters (USAID) - Water Currents - WASH & COVID-19 updates:
  www.globalwaters.org/resources/assets/wa...9-update-may-14-2020
  
  
• WSSCC - COVID-19: Sanitation and hygiene for today and tomorrow:
  www.wsscc.org/who-we-are/covid-19-sanita...-today-and-tomorrow/
  
  
• DefeatDD - Prevent COVID-19's cascading impacts: lessons from DefeatDD:
  www.defeatdd.org/campaign/prevent-covid-...cts-lessons-defeatdd

• CBM Australia for Water for Women - Disability inclusion and COVID-19: Guidance for WASHdelivery:  ic9.esolg.ca/11140390_WaterForWomen/en/l...-Inclusion_FINAL.pdf

• WaterAid - Putting equality, inclusion and rights at the centre of a COVID-19 water, sanitation and hygiene response:  washmatters.wateraid.org/blog/putting-eq...and-hygiene-response

• Institute of Development Studies - Handwashing Compendium for Low Resource Settings: A Living Document  www.ids.ac.uk/publications/handwashing-c...s-a-living-document/
  
  
• WASH Cluster - Global WASH Covid-19 Resource Repository:
  washcluster.net/Covid-19/global-key-guid...38bf768307-219489705  
  
  
• Water Research Commission - Collection of Guidelines, Fact Sheets, Infographics, General Information, Reports and more
  www.wrc.org.za/corona-virus/ 

Humanitarian response
 

• UNHCR – COVID-19 WASH resources:
  https://wash.unhcr.org/covid-19-resources/
  
  
• UNICEF – COVID-19 – What you need to know about the virus to protect you and your family:
  https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19
  
  
• IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) – COVID-19 outbreak readiness and response:
  interagencystandingcommittee.org/covid-1...adiness-and-response
  
  
• ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action) – COVID-19 Response Portal:
  https://covid19.alnap.org/
  
  
• CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard) – COVID-19 and CHS commitments: 
  https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/covid-19-and-the-chs/
  
  
• ACAPS (Assessment Capacities Project) – COVID-19 resources:
  www.acaps.org/projects/covid19
  
  
• Reliefweb – COVID-19:
  https://reliefweb.int/topics/covid-19
  
  
• Sphere – COVID-19 guidance based on humanitarian standards:
  spherestandards.org/coronavirus/
  
  
• ACF (Action Against Hunger) – COVID-19 and WASH resources:
  drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EW73mcm5...flDEPQINrJZJc79saIRT
  
  
• IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) - COVID-19 guidance for national societies:
  go.ifrc.org/emergencies/3972#additional-info
  
  
• Solidarités International - Key WASH Covid-19 resources (English, French):
  drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZYsEsBD7...gOwgq338ltasMsU372Lb  
  
  
• Oxfam WASH - COVID-19 response:
  www.oxfamwash.org/response-types/covid-19 
  
  
• ICVA (The International Council of Voluntary Agencies) - COVID-19 resources:
  www.icvanetwork.org/covid-19-resources  
  
  
• Elrha - Coronavirus resources for humanitarians:
  www.elrha.org/news/coronavirus-covid-19-...s-for-humanitarians/
  
  
• Regional working group for risk communication and community engagement to fight coronavirus in West and Central Africa - online library:
  coronawestafrica.info/
  
  
• COVID-19 Humanitarian platform - guidelines and context-specific field experiences:
  www.covid19humanitarian.com/
  
  
• OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) - news & updates:
  www.unocha.org/media-centre/news-updates
  
  
• Reach Initiative - Updates on ongoing research on the impact of COVID-19 in crisis-affected countries:
  www.reach-initiative.org/what-we-do/news...o-covid-19-pandemic/
  
  
• WHO and UNICEF Joint "Hand Hygiene For All Global Initiative":
  www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/sani...-hygiene-for-all/en/ 

Other sources
 

• Johns Hopkins University – Coronavirus Resource Center:
  coronavirus.jhu.edu/
  
  
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
  www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/
  
  
• The Lancet Journal – open access to COVID-19 content:
  https://www.thelancet.com/coronavirus
  
  
• Med Box - COVID-19 toolbox:
  www.medbox.org/toolbox/5E6EA419CA7A4
  
  
• LitCovid - curated COVID-19 literature hub from PubMed:
  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/coronavirus/ 
  
  
• SuSanA Forum Thread - COVID-19 response for people with disabilities:
  forum.susana.org/93-inclusion-and-disabi...le-with-disabilities
  
  
• LSHTM (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) - news:
  www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news
  
  
• ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) - COVID-19:
  www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-pandemic
  
  
• COVID Action Collaborative - knowledge repository:
  covidactioncollab.in/knowledge-repository/
  
  
• Our World in Data - COVID-19 statistics and research:
  ourworldindata.org/coronavirus 
  
  
• GOARN (Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network) - COVID-19 Knowledge Hub:
  extranet.who.int/goarn/COVID19Hub
  
  
• Rural Water Supply Network - Blog: A "C" Diagram to Identify Covid-19 Transmission Routes
  rwsn.blog/2020/06/02/a-c-diagram-to-iden...transmission-routes/ 

Events & webinars 

• SuSanA event calendar:
  www.susana.org/en/news-and-events/sanita...ents/upcoming-events 

We invite the SuSanA community to add to this list, in order to compile information that is spread out in different networks and online portals. 
 
Best regards,
Christian, Keitumetse and Finn [on behalf of the secretariat]

Hi Sean, thanks for brining the SDC Guide to our attention!

Just yesterday, the global WASH in Schools Network (UNICEF, GIZ, Save the Children, WATERAID; Emory, LSHTM, among others) has uploaded a knowledge map to the SuSanA library with links to relevant materials about COVID-19 for learners, their families and the education system. The map is intended for the time when schools are closed and in preparation for re-opening of schools. We want to help navigate through the jungle of information about COVID-19,specifically its relevance for the school community. Therefore, we selected relevant information from high-quality, reliable sources for the education system, families and for pre-primary, primary and secondary school children.
We will update the material regularly and include new or currently overlooked material. Please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., if you come across helpful websites, links or videos. 

The Map can be found here in the SuSanA library:  www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/resource...library/details/3831 

And this from AfricaAhead in Zimbabwe - a set of visuals for helping to communicate the disease and how to respond:  www.africaahead.org/wp-content/uploads/2...Virus-Toolkit_V2.pdf

Dear SuSanA colleagues

A lot of good guidance and resources are emerging, I would like to share this which has come from SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) - the Guide is in the attachment at the bottom of the post.

Dear colleagues
We are reminded of the importance of safe access towater, sanitation and hygiene for all outside crisis and during crisis. In this
context, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is also a key determinant of
health and can greatly reduce the pressure on the medical infrastructure and
staff, preventing the further spreading of the virus. In this sense WASH plays
an important role in fighting the further propagation of COVID-19 and to
protect the most vulnerable people and communities.
 
Since many of us are being confronted with a large numberof Water Sanitation and Hygiene’s (WASH) requests to address COVID-19, the
Expert Group on WASH (Humanitarian Aid) and the Global Programme Water (Global
Cooperation) at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) HQ have
compiled the attached pretty exhaustive Working Aid that includes  scoping guidance tables.
 
The Working Aid helps to ask the right questions relatedto various aspects of WASH:
•           WASHhardware and infrastructure;
•           WASHequipment, consumables and commodities;
•           WASHmessaging: means and content, and;
•           WASHmessage outreach: channels and modalities.
 
We hope that you will find this Working Aid helpful toyour specific contexts and wish you success in all your endeavors.
 
Stay healthy and keep smiling – we will all overcome thisglobal challenge and develop new and more effective ways of collaboration!
 
Daniel Maselli, Focal Point RésEAU

Dear Colleagues,

Below an infographic on SDG 6 from UNDESA. Full UN report detailing the effects can be found here: www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_rep...mpact_of_covid19.pdf

 

Dear Campbell,

Thank you for the post. Quite detailed and highlights all the aspects of the COVID-19. I am currently based in Kenya and this information will certainly help with knowing how to handle it as we move forward (It is week 2 since the first case was confirmed in Kenya. We currently have 31 infections and 1 death).

Thank you for keeping as abreast on all fronts. Lets all stay safe.

Regards
Charlotte

Dear Colleagues:

Links to each of the resources below are on the Globalwaters.org website.

This special issue contains links to key websites as well as studies and reports that discuss the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)–related aspects of COVID-19. With the release of additional funding, to date USAID has committed up to $100 million in financing from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious-Disease Outbreaks for 25 countries affected by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) or at high risk of its spread.

The COVID-19 virus is transmitted through two main routes: respiratory and contact. No evidence to date suggests that the virus is present in surface or groundwater sources or transmitted through contaminated drinking water. And no evidence to date suggests that the COVID-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems, either with or without treatment.

The provision of safe WASH conditions is essential to protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 outbreak. Below are some WASH–related infectious disease prevention and control measures.

- Ensuring good and consistently applied WASH and waste management practices in communities, homes, schools, marketplaces, and health care facilities will further help to prevent human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

- Frequent and proper handwashing with soap is one of the most important measures that can be used to prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus. WASH activities aiming to respond to COVID-19 should work to enable handwashing by improving services and facilities and using proven behavior change techniques.

- Reliable water services in health facilities and households are critical to ensuring both sufficient quantities of safe drinking water and the ability to maintain hygiene (including hand hygiene, laundering, cleaning, and disinfection).

Overviews
Q&A: The Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Causing COVID-19. BMC Medicine, February 2020. This article discusses the clinical presentation of COVID-19, how people are being treated, and what measures are likely to be successful in curbing its further spread.

Q&A on Coronaviruses (COVID-19). World Health Organization (WHO), March 2020. This Q&A provides information on the spread of COVID-19, symptoms, treatment, and more.

Key Considerations: Quarantine in the Context of COVID-19. Social Science in Humanitarian Action, March 2020. This brief sets out practical considerations relating to the design and impact of measures that restrict human movement patterns in the context of COVID-19.

Preparedness and Response Planning Toolkit. USAID, January 2019. A toolkit designed to help national-level public health decision-makers develop a plan for effective preparedness and response to public health emergencies and ensure a robust multisectoral and One Health approach.

WASH/Hygiene Aspects
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Waste Management for COVID-19 Technical Brief. WHO; UNICEF, March 2020. This brief summarizes the latest evidence on persistence of the COVID-19 virus in drinking water, sewage, and surfaces and highlights key elements of existing WHO guidance on water, sanitation, and health care waste, which is relevant for viruses (including coronaviruses). It focuses largely on health care and community settings.

Handwashing with Soap—Our Best Defence Against Coronavirus. Wash’em, March 2020. The act of handwashing with soap remains the best defense against coronavirus. This guide gives practical tips on how to encourage community-level handwashing behavior with the aim of controlling and preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Handwashing and Coronavirus Fact Sheet. Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP), March 2020. For novel viruses with no vaccine, it is especially important to practice preventative measures, such as handwashing, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and social distancing to slow the outbreak.

Persistence of Coronaviruses on Inanimate Surfaces and their Inactivation with Biocidal Agents. Journal of Hospital Infection, March 2020. Human coronaviruses can remain infectious on inanimate surfaces for up to nine days. Surface disinfection with 0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite or 62 percent–71 percent ethanol significantly reduces coronavirus infectivity on surfaces within one minute of exposure time.

The Water Professional’s Guide to COVID-19. Water Environment Federation, February 2020. Because this disease already has begun to spread worldwide, it is important that water sector professionals keep informed on the attributions of this virus and any measures needed to protect both workers and public health. The information posted here is a summary of current knowledge about this emerging viral pathogen.

The Sphere Standards and the Coronavirus Response. Sphere, 2020. The document outlines the underlying principles and the importance of community engagement, as well as a detailed review of the relevant technical guidance in the WASH and Health chapters of the Sphere Handbook.

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates. GHP Soapbox, February 2020. In this newsletter, GHP provides an update on the coronavirus outbreak, its impacts, and measures that can be taken to protect households and communities.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Technical Guidance: Infection Prevention and Control/WASH. WHO, February 2020. This article contains links to WHO tools and guidelines on topics such as protective equipment, home care for patients, waste management, and handrub formulations.

To Fight the Coronavirus, Wash Your Hands and Support Clean Water Access Around the World. USA Today, March 2020. In this op-ed, Susan Barnett of Global Water 2020 discusses the importance of handwashing and how the lack of safe health care (from insurance to soap and water) around the world is jeopardizing everyone’s health.

Why COVID-19 Can’t Beat a Good Hand-Washing. Popular Science, March 2020. Matthew Freeman, a professor of epidemiology and global health at Emory University, discusses the science behind how handwashing works to fight germs.

COVID-19–Why the Gaps in Available Data are Far More Terrifying. IRCWASH Blog, March 2020. The WASH community must support health authorities in tackling the outbreak by: amplifying the emphasis on hygiene and handwashing by any means; making available its expertise, from technical solutions to campaigning and improving water security; and prioritizing its work with health care facilities to prevent them from becoming sources of viral transmission.

Websites
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. WHO – This website includes information and guidance regarding the current outbreak of COVID-19 that was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December. Please visit this page for daily updates. The website has information on Situation Reports, Travel Advice, Technical Guidance, and additional information.

Global WASH Cluster (GWC) COVID-19 Resource Menu – The Resource Menu is a mapping of current WASH specific resources relating to the COVID-19 global response and GWC will keep updating it as the situation develops.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – The CDC website features information on prevention, symptoms, the U.S. caseload, and information targeted to specific audiences, including health care professionals and communities. It also has a Frequently Asked Questions section.

Coronavirus Resources. GHP – This webpage links to fact sheets, technical briefs, and a growing list of other resources.

COVID-19 and WASH. Sanitation and WASH for All – This page contains different resources and tools such as documents, videos, social media materials with messaging on public health, webinar recordings, etc.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases Dashboard. Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering – This dashboard provides statistics on the number of cases, deaths, and recoveries by country.

We have started a page for this topic on Sanitation Updates and links to each of the items below are on Sanitation Updates . Please let us know of other studies and resources to add.

Information resources on WASH and the Coronavirus

Reports/Articles

Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for COVID-19 technical brief. WHO; UNICEF, March 3, 2020. This Technical Brief supplements existing IPC documents by referring to and summarizing WHO guidance on water, sanitation and health care waste which is relevant for viruses (including coronaviruses).

To fight the coronavirus, wash your hands and support clean water access around the world. by Susan Barnett, USA Today, March 4, 2020. We can’t build a wall around a germ. But we can wash our hands, and our government can help countries trying to improve their health facilities.

Sphere: WASH & the Coronavirus – The document outlines the underlying principles and the importance of community engagement, as well as a detailed review of the relevant technical guidance in the WASH and Health chapters.

Websites

WHO – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak – Situation reports, technical guidance, media resources, online training, videos.

CDC – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – What you should know, situation updates, information for healthcare professionals,[/b] communities, schools and businesses.

Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP) – In this SoapBox edition, we provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak, including its impacts, measures you can take to protect yourself, and what GHP partners are doing to respond.