COVID-19 Efforts

Since early March 2020, I have guided 60 members of the CienciaPR network in the publication of more than 90 Spanish-language articles about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. I have also coordinated or facilitated more than 70 Spanish-language radio, TV, podcast, and press interviews with scientists and experts who are members of the CienciaPR network. You can learn more about the story behind some these efforts in this NPR interview (in English). You can read, watch or listen most of the content HERE (in Spanish).

Since September 2020, I have been leading the creation of “Aquí nos cuidamos” (roughly translated to: "Here, we take care of each other"), a collection of free, culturally-relevant, community-centered science and public health resources to help Puerto Ricans stay safe from COVID-19 (you can see available content for download here). “Aquí Nos Cuidamos” uses participatory science communication and inclusive community engagement practices to ensure that its content and activities are informed by and respond to the needs of marginalized communities in Puerto Rico. Ultimately, the project will serve as a new model for inclusive community-centered capacity building and science engagement.

In September 2020, the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust (PRPHT), Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR), and the humanitarian organization Mercy Corps Puerto Rico, launched the "Cuídate, Cuídame" (Take care of yourself, Take care of me) campaign to encourage young adults between 20-39 years of age (who have consistently had the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico) to adopt healthy behaviors to minimize their risk of infection. I am one of the organizers of the campaign. You can find and download all the campaign's content HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA & PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

"Cuídate, Cuídame" includes social media posts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and public service announcements.

CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND INFLUENCERS

"Cuídate, Cuídame" features a series of virtual Spanish-language "Conversations about COVID-19", which brings together renowned media and sports personalities and social media influencers, with science and public health experts to discuss various COVID-19 topics and practical ways to coexist safely with the coronavirus. You can watch all videos in this series HERE.

• "Aquí Nos Cuidamos" al vacunarse contra el COVID-19 ("Aquí Nos Cuidamos" (Here, we take care of each other) by getting vaccinated against COVID-19) (May 7, 2021) Noticentro al Amanecer WAPA TV
• COVID-19 en/in Puerto Rico (June 7, 2020) Muévete (Radio Isla y TeleOro)
• Comercios se preparan para reabrir a pesar de que expertos en salud afirman que es apresurado (Businesses get ready to reopen despite health experts saying it's rushed) (May 22, 2020) Univisión Puerto Rico
• Uso de las pruebas para COVID-19 (COVID-19 tests)(May 5, 2020) Noticias Telemundo
• Verdades y mentiras acerca del coronavirus (Truth and lies about the coronavirus) (April 20, 2020) Noticias Telemundo
• Recomendaciones para protegernos del contagio de COVID-19 (Recommendations to protect ourselves against the coronavirus) (April 8, 2020) Noticias Telemundo
• La "curva del coronavirus" necesita aplanarse (We need to flatten the coronavirus curve) (March 20, 2020) Noticias Telemundo

• Vacunas de COVID-19 pa' los barrios (COVID-19 vaccines for marginalized communities) (December 21, 2020) El Nuevo Día
• Solidaridad en Acción de Gracias: Cómo evitar el COVID-19 (Thanksgiving solidarity: How to avoid COVID-19 (November 23, 2020) El Nuevo Día
• The government of Puerto Rico’s main strategies during COVID-19: ineptitude, misinformation and secrecy (April 19, 2020) Latino Rebels
• Faltan datos y transparencia ante la pandemia de COVID-19 (Data and transparency are lacking in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic) (April 2, 2020) El Nuevo Día

A love letter to Latinx healthcare workers (December 29, 2020) Emperifollá

• Cases plunge in Puerto Rico, prompting a gradual rollback of restrictions (May 8, 2021) The New York Times

• Aquí Nos Cuidamos: A COVID-19 toolkit for Puerto Rican communities (May 1, 2021) Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL)

• ¿Con la vacuna contra el covid-19 te inyectan un poco del coronavirus vivo para que desarrolles anticuerpos? (With the covid-19 vaccine, do they inject you with some of the live coronavirus to make you develop antibodies?) (April 26, 2021) Univisión

• Puerto Rico Just Had Its ‘Worst Moment’ for Covid-19 (Puerto Rico acaba de experimentar su ‘peor momento’ con la COVID-19) (April 23, 2021) The New York Times

• Taking Care of Each Other, With Science and Solidarity (April 19, 2021) Simons Foundation

• Rol protagónico de la comunidad científica ante la pandemia del COVID-19 (The leading role of the scientific community in the COVID-19 pandemic) (March 15, 2021) Primera Hora
• ¿Quiénes deben ser los primeros en recibir la vacuna de Johnson & Johnson en la isla? (Who should be first receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Puerto Rico?) (March 1, 2021) El Nuevo Día
• A vaccine is on the way, but some Latin American countries will have to wait longer than others (December 16, 2020) Six Feet Forward
• Urge reflexionar ante las 1,012 muertes por COVID-19: "Nuestros sacrificios ahora salvarán vidas" (Urgent to reflect on the 1,012 deaths from COVID-19: "Our sacrifices now will save lives") (November 22, 2020) El Nuevo Día
• Noviembre establece cifras record de COVID-19 en Puerto Rico (November sets record COVID-19 numbers in Puerto Rico) (November 17, 2020) El Nuevo Día
• Puerto Rico scraps pandemic safe sex campaign amid criticism (October 27, 2020) The Associated Press
• Distrust of authority fuels misinformation for Latinos (Coronavirus: abunda la desinformación en comunidades hispanas) (August 13, 2020) The Associated Press
• Pruebas rápida y falsos negativos: las estrategias de Perú y Puerto Rico frente al COVID-19 (Rapid tests and false negatives: the strategies of Puerto Rico and Perú against COVID-19) (August 9, 2020) Centro de Periodismo Investigativo
• El gobierno lo que ha hecho es recurrir a excusas (What the government has done is find excuses) (July 25, 2020) Claridad 
• "Seguimos teniendo un berenjenal de datos" sobre COVID-19 (COVID-19 data in Puerto Rico is still a mess) (June 11. 2020) Noticel

Puerto Ricans are at risk from the coronavirus and a lack of information (April 7, 2020) NPR's Short Wave

• Repaso Noticioso: Puerto Rico Department of Education wants to restart in-person classes in March (February 4, 2021) 
• ¿Qué es la que hay? con Luis Herrero (October 28, 2020) Radio Isla 1320AM
• Ahora con Damaris Suárez (Now with Damaris Suárez) (September 23, 2020) Radio Isla 1320AM
• Recomendaciones para la próxima orden ejecutiva (Recommendations for the next Executive Order) (September 8, 2020) Sin Tapujos, WIAC 740AM Radio
• Repunte de casos de COVID-19 en Puerto Rico (Spike of COVID-19 cases in Puerto Rico) (July 13, 2020) Sin Tapujos, WIAC 740AM Radio
• Center for Investigative Journalism's Agenda Propia (May 25, 2020) Radio Isla
• Of earthquakes and pandemics (May 4, 2020) Latino Rebels Radio

• 10 consejos contra el coronavirus al votar en las elecciones (10 tips to protect yourself from COVID-19 while voting) (November 1, 2020) El Nuevo Día
• Foro Virtual: Vacunación contra COVID-19 (Virtual forum: COVID-19 vaccine) (October 22, 2020) VOCES: Coalición de Vacunación y Promoción de la Salud
• #NosotrosPodemos (Together we can) (August 24, 2020) Public Service Announcement Campaign
• Mitos y verdades sobre el desarrollo de la vacuna contra COVID-19 (Myths and truths about the development of a COVID-19 vaccine) (August 11, 2020) Mente Abierta
• How Puerto Rican scientists hacked the COVID-19 response: Listening party (June 12, 2020) 9 Millones
• Scientists and the news cycle: What role can we play? (May 27, 2020) Papa PhD Podcast
• ¿Cómo funcionan las pruebas y el rastreo de contactos para COVID-19? (How does COVID-19 testing and contact tracing work?) (May 11, 2020) CienciaPR
• Retos éticos, bioéticos y periodísticos frente a un nuevo virus (Ethical, bioethical and journalistic challenges against a new virus) (May 7, 2020). Foro Virtual Hispanoamericano de Periodismo Científico (Virtual Hispanic-American Forum on Science Journalism)
• Recomendaciones para combatir la desinformación sobre COVID-19 (Addressing misinformation) (April 14, 2020) Caminos en Ciencia