Librarian
IFSI Library Information
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, Assistant Director for Library Operations: ehrenha1@illinois.edu
IFSI Library Facebook:
What is COVID-19?
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 one million 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.
Current Test Resources
- Free Covid-19 tests are available again. Here’s how to get themA CNN article about new free COVID tests.
- At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic TestsThis FDA resource lists currently approved at-home COVID tests, and provides information expiration date extensions. Check before throwing out any tests!
COVID-19 Information
Although WHO has declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, it is still an ongoing problem. Rates of infection rise and fall, and new variants continue to develop. 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.
- COVID-19 VariantsThis link provides information on how the CDC tracks the development and spread of new COVID-19 variants.
- What Older Adults Need to Know About Covid-19This AARP article, which has been updated periodically since January 2020, contains links to information about vaccines, tests, and recent rates of Covid-19 cases.
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. Also included is the summary of issues discussed at the June 2022 Pandemic Response Listening Session, where national representatives discussed the issues of the ongoing pandemic and potential responses.
- Pandemic Response Listening SessionThis reviews the issues and potential solutions discussed in an October 2021 listening session hosted by the UFSA.
“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.”
- Long COVID and the Fire Service"Dr. Denise Smith, who has spent decades researching the physiological impact of firefighting, joins The NFPA Podcast to discuss how firefighters who have been infected with COVID-19 could struggle for weeks or even months following acute illness as they return to work. Smith and other researchers are currently working on a project supported by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to study long COVID in the fire service."
- Long COVID: A Smoldering Problem in the Fire ServiceA 2023 Fire Engineering article by ALEX FROST, CLARA TRYON, SUSANNE D’ISABEL, AND DENISE L. SMITH,
- The Care for Long COVID Act Would Improve Access To Resources And Education For People Living With Long COVIDEndorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters.
- Firefighters and COVID-19: An Occupational Health PerspectiveThese long-term consequences could impact the ability of firefighters to safely perform work that places considerable strain on the cardiopulmonary system.
- Long COVID: How researchers are zeroing in on the self-targeted immune attacks that may lurk behind itA new study finds that misdirected immune responses can persist for months in those who are suffering from long COVID-19.
These are academic articles. Further resources on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first responder mental health will be coming soon to the First Responder Resiliency Project Libguide.
- First Responders During COVID-19: Career Calling, PTSD, and Work Self-EfficacyThis article can only be accessed through a University of Illinois login, as an IFSI staff member, or while using University of Illinois internet. If you have access to another library institution, try asking if they subscribe to Science Direct or the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
- Pandemic Experience of First Responders: Fear, Frustration and StressThis is an Open-Access article, meaning it can be accessed for free without a University of Illinois account or database subscription.
- COVID-19–Related Medical Vulnerability and Mental Health Outcomes Among US First RespondersThis article is available on PubMed Central. PubMed Central® (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM)