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FDLP Resource Guides
Beginning summer 2023, we are updating our guides. You may notice changes to the look and feel of our existing guides. If you have any questions or experience any issues, please contact askGPO.

Health Topics and Resources

Overview

This page focuses on public information by or about the U.S. Government's response to the coronavirus pandemic from 2020 to the present. It highlights information from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and different health agencies of the U.S. Government.

Magnified image of the coronavirus

(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

When conducting a keyword search about this pandemic, consider the various terms that exist to describe the global situation. Below are some examples:

2019-nCoV Coronavirinae Covid Sars Coronavirus 2
2019nCoV Coronavirus Covid-19 SARS-CoV-2
Corona virus Coronaviruses Novel coronavirus

For this guide, GPO refers to the virus of this pandemic as coronavirus.

GPO Resources on Coronavirus

Since the beginning of the pandemic, GPO continues to provide information about the coronavirus through various resources. These resources include Archive-It, Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), FDLP Academy, FDLP Resource Guides, GitHub, GovInfo, and MetaLib.

Click on the tabs of this box to learn about the featured GPO resources with information about coronavirus.

Screenshot of "FDLP Archive-It" website

Explore FDLP Archive-It, which has archived the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website about coronavirus between April 4, 2022, and May 16, 2022, in the following languages: Chinese, English, and Spanish. 

The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) is free online resource of bibliographic records for U.S. Government publications. To learn more about how to use this catalog, check out CGP Search Tips/Help. Using the CGP, the following featured documents are U.S. government publications from 2022 that concern coronavirus.

Screenshot of "COVID-19: the way forward"

COVID-19: The Way Forward

Congressional Research Service

  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Quoted excerpt: "As the pandemic continues, Congress may consider the balance between domestic and global responses to the pandemic, as well as how to overcome challenges to U.S. foreign assistance priorities exacerbated by COVID-19, among other issues."

Screenshot of "COVID-19 Treatments and Therapeutics"

COVID-19 Treatments and Therapeutics

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control

  • Publication Date: 2022
  • This online resource has current information on where to receive coronavirus tests and treatments; data on oral antivirals; and who is at high risk of getting a serious case of coronavirus.
Screenshot of " Investigating the origins of COVID-19 : hearing before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability"

Investigating the origins of COVID-19: hearing before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

U.S. House of Representatives, 118th Congress, First Session

  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Quoted excerpt, "Welcome to our first of many hearings concerning the coronavirus pandemic. We are tasked to review all the effects of the pandemic, as well as decisions made during the pandemic, not just the origins of COVID–19. However, we are here today at our first hearing to ask the fundamental question that this body has failed to ask three years ago: Where did COVID–19 come from?"

While freely available for the general public, the FDLP Academy offers webinars and webcasts for Federal depository libraries. Its mission is to "create and deliver enhanced educational opportunities to the FDLP community by fostering collaboration, by facilitating knowledge sharing, and through the application of new methods and use of multiple mediums" about Federal Government resources. The following webinars from 2021 and 2022 contain coronavirus-related information that may be helpful for library professionals and the general public.

Screenshot of "2022 Fall DLC: Long-term Impact of COVID-19 Working Group: Initial Findings"

2022 Fall DLC: Long-term Impact of COVID-19 Working Group: Initial Findings

  • Recorded on October 19, 2022
  • Length of Time: 57 minutes
  • Speakers: Aimée C. Quinn (Northern Arizona University, Yuma); Cynthia Etkin (U.S. Government Publishing Office); Lisa Pritchard (Jefferson College); and Rick Mikulski (College of William & Mary)
Screenshot of "Triple Disaster: Lessons learned from Hurricane Maria, the Southern Puerto Rico Earthquakes of 2020 and COVID-19"

Triple Disaster: Lessons learned from Hurricane Maria, the Southern Puerto Rico Earthquakes of 2020 and COVID-19

  • Recorded on September 23, 2021
  • Length of Time: 60 minutes
  • Speaker: Jane Canefield (Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico)
Screenshot of "2021 DLC Meeting: COVID-19 a Year Later: Returning to Normal? Or an Emerging New Normal?"

2021 DLC Meeting: COVID-19 a Year Later: Returning to Normal? Or an Emerging New Normal? 

  • Recorded on April 21, 2021
  • Length of Time: 60 minutes
  • Speakers: Will Stringfellow (Vanderbilt University); Rick Mikulski (Portland State University); Cynthia Etkin (U.S. Government Publishing Office); and Alicia Kubas (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)

Screenshot of USGPO / cataloging-records on GitHub

GPO catalogers placed bibliographic information on 937 records about coronavirus in GitHub. Some of the records are brief bibs or preliminary records. Almost all of the records are for online versions of the resources.

GovInfo has featured collections on types of Federal Government documents and topics. Click on this link for featured content pertaining to the coronavirus.

Screenshot of "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act"

H. R. 748 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act

  • Publication Date: March 27, 2020
  • Quoted excerpt: "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage... This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’’ or the ‘'CARES Act.'"
Screenshot of "Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19) Outbreak"

Proclamation 9994 Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19) Outbreak

  • Publication Date: March 13, 2020
  • Quoted excerpt: "NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 201 and 301 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and consistent with section 1135 of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5), do hereby find and proclaim that the COVID–19 outbreak in the United States constitutes a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020."
Screenshot of "H. R. 8406 The Heroes Act"

H. R. 8406 The Heroes Act

  • Publication Date: September 30, 2021
  • Quoted excerpt: "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, and for other purposes."
Screenshot of "Public Law 116–142 Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020"

Public Law 116–142 Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020

  • Publication Date: June 5, 2020
  • Quoted excerpt: "To amend the Small Business Act and the CARES Act to modify certain provisions related to the forgiveness of loans under the paycheck protection program, to allow recipients of loan forgiveness under the paycheck protection program to defer payroll taxes, and for other purposes."
Screenshot of "Public Law 117–13"

Public Law 117–13 COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

  • Publication Date: May 20, 2021
  • Quoted excerpt: "To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes, and for other purposes."

Screenshot of MetaLib

Check out MetaLib as a Federal search engine tool. It searches through multiple Federal government articles, citations, databases, and reports.

U.S. Government Health Agencies

Different U.S. Government health agencies have conducted research or responded to the coronavirus pandemic. They provide information for the public, including about the basics of the virus, steps to protect people from the virus, and additional information.

Click on the tabs of this box to see featured U.S. Government health agencies with information about coronavirus.

Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Established in 2012 under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the mission of the ACL is to "maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers." Here is a link to ACL resources concerning coronavirus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC focuses on ways to protect "America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S."  The following is a list of comprehensive coronavirus-related information. 
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)

The mission of HRSA is to "improve health outcomes and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs." This entity is under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Comprised of 27 institutes and centers, the NIH is under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. NIH's mission is to "to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability."
National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the NLM is the "world's largest biomedical library."
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The mission of SAMHSA, which is under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, is to "reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities."
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)

HHS is an executive department that oversees 12 operating divisions (3 human-services agencies and 9 health-services agencies). Its mission is to "to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services."
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA is under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is "responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices."

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