Resources

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 |  April 28, 2021

Benefits of Paid Sick Leave During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Multiple jurisdictions have adopted or adapted paid sick leave policies to reduce the likelihood of employees infected with SARS-CoV-2 presenting to work, which can lead to the spread of infection in workplaces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, paid sick leave has been associated with an increased likelihood of workers staying at home when symptomatic. Paid sick leave can support essential workers in following public health measures. This includes paid time off for essential workers when they are sick, have been exposed, need to self-isolate, need time off to get tested, when it is their turn to get vaccinated, and when their workplace closes due to an outbreak. In the United States, the introduction of a temporary paid sick leave, resulted in an estimated 50% reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases per state per day. The existing Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) cannot financially protect essential workers in following all public health measures, places the administrative burden of applying for the benefit on essential workers, and neither provides sufficient, nor timely payments. Table 1 lists the characteristics of a model paid sick leave program as compared with the CRSB. Implementation of the model program should be done in a way that is easy to navigate and quick for employers.
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 |  April 23, 2021

A Vaccination Strategy for Ontario COVID-19 Hotspots and Essential Workers

Ontario’s initial mass COVID-19 vaccination strategy in place until April 8, 2021 was based on per-capita regional allocation of vaccines with subsequent distribution – in order of relative priority – by age, chronic health conditions and high-risk congregate care settings, COVID-19 hotspots, and essential worker status. Early analysis of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout reveals inequities in vaccine coverage across the province, with residents of higher risk neighbourhoods being least likely get vaccinated. Accelerating the vaccination of COVID-19 hotspots and essential workers will prevent considerably more SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths as compared with Ontario’s initial mass vaccination strategy (Figure 1).
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 |  April 22, 2021

Behavioural Science Principles for Enhancing Adherence to Public Health Measures

The science of getting people to start something new is different from the science of getting them to continue positive behaviours. Amid rising rates of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, Ontario needs a refreshed approach to maintaining and enhancing adherence to public health measures. Promising strategies to increase effective masking and physical distancing include persuasion, enablement, modelling the behaviour, and clear education.
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 |  April 20, 2021

Fighting COVID-19 in Ontario: The Way Forward

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario is now facing the most challenging health crisis of our time. Our case counts are at an all-time high. Our hospitals are buckling. Younger people are getting sicker. The disease is ripping through whole families. The variants of concern that now dominate COVID-19 in Ontario are, in many ways, a new pandemic. And Ontario needs stronger measures to control the pandemic. If we want to bring cases under control, protect our health system and reopen as quickly as possible, this is the way forward.
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 |  April 19, 2021

Strategies to Manage Tocilizumab Supply During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tocilizumab is an anti-inflammatory medication that acts by inhibiting interleukin-6 (IL-6) and is shown to improve outcomes including mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen. Ontario supply of tocilizumab is limited, and tocilizumab demand in Ontario will likely exceed supply in the near future. A strategy that includes using a fixed, single intravenous dose of 400 mg for eligible patients, use of a provincial dashboard to help monitor and allocate use, and estimating supply-to-demand adequacy will optimize tocilizumab use. Sarilumab, another IL-6 inhibitor, can be considered as a substitute. As a default, a centralized allocation lottery system should be employed as soon as predicted demand exceeds supply. Other aspects may need to be taken into account for allocation, as appropriate.
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