Library Hours:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Special operating hours may be held during events.
IFSI Library Staff:
Lian Ruan, Head Librarian: lruan@illinois.edu
Diane Richardson, Reference & User Training Librarian: dlrichar@illinois.edu
David Ehrenhart, Archivist and Metadata Librarian: ehrenha1@illinois.edu
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus that originated in Wuhan, China in 2019 and has since reached pandemic spread. Most people with COVID-19 exhibit only mild symptoms, however there have been over 600,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the US to date. Post-COVID conditions also pose a threat, as there are many ongoing health problems that those who recover from COVID-19 may face. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, and vaccines have been proven to be both safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 related hospitalizations/deaths on a large scale.
More information can be found on the CDC Website.
Because we are learning new things about COVID-19 every day, guidance is constantly changing. Linked below are the most up to date resources regarding COVID-19 safety precautions, travel guidelines, vaccine information, and more.
Below is a collection of guides for first responders, including potential action steps that can be used when preparing for a pandemic, provided by the US Fire Administration and FEMA.
“The NFPA 'Firefighter Fatalities in the US in 2020' report indicates that in 2020, more firefighters died from COVID-19 in the U.S. than any other line-of-duty death cause. Firefighters are always in high-risk environments performing the most physically demanding job, but 'Long COVID' is creating apprehension in the fire service these days. The good news is that a new FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is currently supporting research looking into the long-term health effects of COVID-19 and how the fire service can comprehend and manage the risks from the pandemic and safeguard firefighter health and safety.”
This IAFF COVID Tracker tracks members' COVID exposure, quarantine, isolation, hospitalization, and deaths.
