New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service has created a COVID-19 resource website that includes links to information regarding issues that impact individuals, families and communities. (NMSU photo by Jane Moorman)During the COVID-19 pandemic there are many sources of information for self and family care and safety.
New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences has established a website, http://aces.nmsu.edu/covid19/, where NMSU Cooperative Extension Service is providing relevant and reliable information regarding issues associated with the pandemic that impact individuals, families and communities.
“The ACES College is totally committed to be a fundamental part in fighting Coronavirus and supporting of New Mexicans in these challenging times,” said Rolando Flores, dean of the College of ACES. “Therefore, we have been working extensively to provide New Mexicans with all available tools and information possible.”
With this in mind, the Extension specialists are developing materials that the county Extension agents may share with their communities.
“As New Mexico’s land-grant university, our task is to provide research-based information to the citizens of the state,” said Jon Boren, College of ACES associate dean and director of the Cooperative Extension Service. “Our agents and specialists are being very innovative with the technology available to us to accomplish this goal during this unique and challenging time.”
The website provides links to resources about health and wellness, family life, personal finances, nutrition and food, food safety and handwashing, and farming and farmers’ markets.
“We organized the website for easy access to information in these areas of a person’s life,” said Sonja Koukel, NMSU Extension health specialist. “We will be adding presentations and more relevant information in the coming days.”
Through the “Family Life,” and “Health and Wellness” pages, viewers may access the NM Crisis and Access Line and resources for supporting children’s emotional well-being during the pandemic. There are also links to information in Spanish.
The health and wellness page includes information on preparing for self-isolation, handmade do-it-yourself face masks, emergency preparedness of sheltering at home, and how you can tell the difference between allergies, cold, flu and COVID-19.
For kids, there is a link to a game that encourages kids to not share germs titled “Don’t Be Gross,” created by NMSU’s Innovative Media Research and Extension department.
On the “Protecting your Money” page, links are available on how to protect finances during the pandemic, including steps to take if having trouble paying bills or meeting other financial obligations.
Through the “Nutrition and Food” page, viewers may learn tips for shopping, food selection and getting kids involved in cooking. It also includes links to tasty and low-cost recipes provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as recipes in Spanish.
Tips for handwashing and surface cleaning, including videos in English and Spanish, are available through the Food Safety page.
The “Farming and Farmers’ Markets” page includes information about washing fresh produce once it is purchased and what the growers have done to prevent contamination. There is also access to information for New Mexico agriculture industry related to COVID-19.