As COVID-19 cases rapidly increase across the province, the Saskatchewan chapter of the Lung Association is providing a place for those diagnosed  to get some help.

The association started a COVID-19 support group open to anyone in the province who has tested positive  for the coronavirus, and their caregivers.

Registered Nurse Jaimie Peters, who moderates the group, says she feels many people are scared to share their story and wants to let people know it’s a safe place.

“We want people to know joining this group, everything is supposed to be kept confidential within the group, and people who are just wanting to join for interest’s sake will be monitored and won’t be allowed to do that,” said Peters. “It’s slowly growing.”

The group currently runs on Facebook and offers people the chance to Zoom call other people to see and converse with others in real-time

Peters says the group is aimed at helping people find someone else who has shared experiences and letting them know they’re not alone.

“We’re hoping that people aren’t feeling alone, and hoping that they have someone to talk to, especially while everyone’s self-isolating or at home on their own, and they’re feeling lonely,” said Peters. ‘We want people to know there’s a place to go online to talk to others, to connect people.”

In addition to peer support, group members will also be able to find more information about COVID-19 research.

“It may help others find resources they need, there are some opportunities for them to find research programs,” said Peters. “So, anytime there might be a study coming up that might be of interest to them, I will post that on that page so that they know about it if they’re interested in helping advance Covid research.”

The support page can be found on Facebook. For more information, visit the Lung Association’s website at lungsask.ca or call 1-888-566-LUNG (5864).