For the Washtenaw County Health Department, using social media to protect public health was not a novel idea. In the recent past, the department’s communications director, Kayla Steinberg, has used social media to address opioid abuse, suicide, measles, hepatitis A, and Eastern equine encephalitis. When COVID-19 arrived, the department already had its social media platforms in place.

“Information spreads fast on social media, both accurate information and inaccurate information,” Steinberg says. “The inaccurate information spreads especially fast if it seems like good news – cures or prevention. People really grab onto that. We know that these miracle cures are more harmful than helpful. We combat that information and provide accurate information.”

Letting youth know they're not alone – and helping adults broach tough subjects with them – is the goal of the Washtenaw County #wishyouknew campaign.

Kayla Steinberg, communications coordinator for the Washtenaw County Health Department, says the Health for All Washtenaw website is "like a central hub."

"People can not only learn about specific medical conditions, but also about the things that affect health such as education, the economy, and transportation," she says.