BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Health on Wednesday relaunched its CovidCONNECT website, offering more streamlined access to comprehensive resources to support Marylanders who have firsthand experience with COVID-19. Through CovidCONNECT, users are able to find guidance and support from peers who share similar experiences and access resources to promote physical, emotional, and mental health.

“As Marylanders continue to get vaccinated in record numbers, we see hope for the future—but we still need ways to come together to cope with the losses of the past year,” said MDH Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “We hope CovidCONNECT can help more Marylanders who are struggling with this pandemic by finding support and building community.”

Re-launching CovidCONNECT opens the site to the public and allows for more expansive reach of resources, including new features like CovidCONNECTIONS—stories from real Marylanders who have personally felt the impact of the virus. The site will soon feature Covid stories from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions and will also increase its mental health support offerings, including a regular webinar series on coping with the pandemic.

CovidCONNECT first launched in May 2020 as a registration-only platform for those who tested positive or who had recovered from COVID-19. The site was primarily focused on information about plasma donation and clinical studies, but has since been expanded to include webinars and peer-led virtual support groups, developed in partnership between MDH’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and the Maryland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“Many Marylanders are experiencing significant mental health impacts as a result of having had COVID-19, prolonged isolation, financial stresses, grief from losing loved ones and general life disruption,” said BHA Deputy Secretary Dr. Aliya Jones. “We can find renewed strength and learn how to move forward by sharing our experiences, resources and support with one another.”

Registration for the next CovidCONNECT webinar, Achieving Mental Wellness Through Self-Care Skills: COVID-19 and Beyond, is now open to the public. Learn more at https://www.covidconnect.health.maryland.gov.

For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland visit https://www.covidLINK.maryland.gov.

For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 data, visit https://www.coronavirus.maryland.gov.