Thousands Join Australian Group To Help Frontline Health Workers During Coronavirus Pandemic

Thousands of people have signed up to help healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many staff at nursing homes, hospitals and other medical or health facilities have been overwhelmed with the outbreak of Covid-19.

Not only are they on the frontline of the virus, but they also have to keep up with their normal duties once off the clock.

But a new online grassroots group has started to help these heroes get their out-of-work tasks done like grocery shopping or child care.

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Adopt a Healthcare Worker has been on Facebook for less than a week and it already has more than 18,000 people signed up.

Adoptees (aka people who are working in frontline health or medical facilities) can chuck their profession and postcode into the group and a stranger in their area can elect to look after them.

The group states: "If you know someone who works in healthcare, make a commitment NOW to look after them.

"At the very least, it means checking in with them regularly.

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"Working on the front line is going to take its toll - be there to support them!

"Find out what will help them to function. Do they need you to prepare some meals they can freeze? Do they need you to pick up or look after their kids? Even if it's on the one day they get off, so they can catch up on some sleep! Do they need a shoulder to cry on? Someone to scrub their shower because it hasn't been done in a month?

"Talk to them early, because when they really need the help, they might not be in the right space to ask for help. If we all pitch in, then maybe we can reduce the impact COVID-19 will have on our communities!"

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Adopters have also been posting some helpful tips to people who work in this field. At least one cafe has highlighted that they're giving away free coffees to healthcare workers.

Many people who are working to protect us against the virus are getting home from a long shift and seeing no supplies at supermarkets. This group can be an incredible way for our heroes to have what they need when they can't get it themselves.

People in the group are also offering to help others in the community that might be affected by the outbreak of Covid-19, like the elderly or disabled people.

If you want to help anyone, give the page a like and see if anyone in your area needs a hand.

Topics: News, Interesting, Coronavirus, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie