Providing bilingual COVID-19 educational material for the border region during the pandemic

Background: Studies show that the introduction of early public health interventions correlates with decreased rates of transmission and reductions in mortality resulting from epidemic or pandemic events. Methods: Medical educators and students from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso created the El Paso-Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT) to educate at-risk populations in the border region. The English and Spanish material created by EP-HEAT included information about disease symptoms, transmission, preventive measures and mental health resources. An online, anonymous survey was distributed to attendees to obtain feedback on the provided coronavirus disease (COVID-19) educational material. Results: The results showed that over 90% of participants agreed that the informational pamphlets increased their awareness and knowledge of COVID-19. Conclusions: In this study, educators and students created COVID-19-related material in virtual workshops and pamphlets, designed to increase knowledge about COVID-19, mitigate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and how to address mental health issues related to the pandemic. A majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the COVID-19 material developed by EP-HEAT helped raise awareness, understanding, and the importance of education about SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.