Improve safe working guidelines for COVID-19 epidemic

[ewallace]

This thread to collect thoughts & improvements on the blogpost on safe science during an epidemic.

You can edit the underlying text here in the remote-covid branch, if you have access.

Help appreciated!

[ewallace]

Suggestion (from Rachel) to include guidelines about self-care and organization:

• Look after yourself and your physical/mental health first. For example, use the commuting time you save to do something for yourself.
• Aim for a consistent and well-defined workday schedule.
• Remember to take breaks.
• Set up your workspace (computer, monitor, keyboard, chair etc) so it's comfortable.
• Stay connected and check in on each other. Use tools like slack/phones/skype for business to talk and avoid feeling overly isolated. If this goes on long, we can schedule regular "online coffee" or something.

@ewallace adding this to document.

[FlicAnderson]

Having checked out the new edits added in the commit 0ce392e (self-care tips), they cover all the key things I would have added very nicely!

Suggestions:

• I would maybe expand the "take breaks" to include making time for a proper lunchtime, but this is maybe unnecessary since maybe it's just me that forgets? :smile:

• I've found having a good pair of headphones helps keep me focussed at home, as well as being helpful for improving skype calls etc.

• For workspace, maybe handy to recommend an adjustable laptop stand if there's no access to a monitor at home to avoid neck/back aches?

• I definitely agree with "aim for a consistent and well-defined workday schedule" - this one is really helpful.

• Potentially relevant to isolating folks who can't get out: yoga videos from youtube are amazingly good for starting off the work-day and staying reasonably active when you're stuck indoors all day.

Under the Skills heading, Is it worth potentially considering git/version control? It's a pretty handy skill where ggplot code snippets & other analysis code are involved?

I can add these expansions to the post in the remote-covid branch if you think they add anything?

Re: pictures: I've been looking for relevant images but can't find anything particularly good.

Were you planning to expand on the h2/h3 headings (Be safe in your life outside the lab; Stock up on prescriptions, consider human food and pet food; Ideally cancel personal travel and large public events;)? Otherwise, it might help readability by reducing the size and maybe converting some of these to bullet point lists? I can do this too, just wanted to check first whether they're content headings rather than content.