Coronavirus / en With the flip of a switch, UV-LED lights could be used to kill coronaviruses and other germs: 茄子直播 study /news/flip-switch-uv-led-lights-could-be-used-kill-coronaviruses-and-other-germs-u-t-study <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With the flip of a switch, UV-LED lights could be used to kill coronaviruses and other germs: 茄子直播 study</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1184643621-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gTWF1VBB 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1184643621-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uq5DH-Dk 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1184643621-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=riM8bDlN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1184643621-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gTWF1VBB" alt="a UV light is shone on a desk"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-29T11:30:59-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - 11:30" class="datetime">Tue, 03/29/2022 - 11:30</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">茄子直播 researchers found that virus-containing droplets exposed to UV light lost around 90 per cent of their ability to infect after about 30 seconds, suggesting an 'underutilized' tool to combat the pandemic (photo by Douglas Sacha/Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alexa-battler" hreflang="en">Alexa Battler</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-biological-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Biological Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Lighting used in offices and public spaces could potentially be used to destroy coronaviruses and HIV.</p> <p><a href="https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-022-01754-w">In&nbsp;a study&nbsp;published this week in <em>Virology Journal</em></a>, researchers at the University of Toronto killed both viruses using UV-LED lights, which&nbsp;can alternate between white light and decontaminating ultraviolet (UV) light.</p> <p>Moreover, the UV-LED lights&nbsp;could also be used in many standard lighting fixtures with a cheap retrofit, giving them a 鈥渦nique appeal鈥 for public spaces, says the study鈥檚 senior author&nbsp;<strong>Christina Guzzo</strong><strong>.</strong></p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT21364_Christina_Guzzo-headshot.jpg" alt><em><span style="font-size:12px;">Christina Guzzo</span></em></div> </div> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e at a critical time where we need to use every single possible stop to get us out of this pandemic,鈥 says Guzzo, an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at 茄子直播 Scarborough. 鈥淓very mitigation strategy that can be easily implemented should be used.鈥</p> <p>UV lights kill viruses through radiation. Working with PhD students&nbsp;<strong>Arvin T. Persaud</strong> and <strong>Jonathan Burnie</strong>, Guzzo first tested the lights on bacterial spores that are notorious for their resistance to this radiation (known as&nbsp;Bacillus pumilus&nbsp;spores).</p> <p>鈥淚f you're able to kill these spores, then you can reasonably say you should be able to kill most other viruses that you would commonly encounter in the environment,鈥 says Guzzo, principal investigator at&nbsp;the Guzzo Lab.</p> <p>Within 20 seconds of UV exposure, the spores鈥 growth dropped by 99 per cent.</p> <p>The researchers then created droplets containing coronaviruses or HIV&nbsp;to mimic the typical ways people encounter viruses in public, such as from coughing, sneezing and bleeding. The droplets were exposed to UV light and placed in a culture to see if any of the virus remained active. With just 30 seconds of exposure, the ability of the virus&nbsp;to infect dropped by 93 per cent.</p> <p>Upon testing the viruses at different concentrations, the researchers found that samples with more viral particles were more resistant to the UV lights. But even with a viral load so high Guzzo calls it 鈥渢he worst-case scenario,鈥 infectivity still dropped by 88 per cent.</p> <p>While the lights themselves aren鈥檛 harmless 鈥 UV radiation damages nucleic acid, and repeated, prolonged exposure is harmful 鈥 Guzzo says they could be easily employed when public spaces are empty&nbsp;鈥 such as on vacated buses that have finished their routes&nbsp;or empty elevators travelling between floors. Escalator handrails, meanwhile,&nbsp;could be continuously disinfected by putting UV lights in the underground part of the track, cleaning it with each rotation, she adds.</p> <p>Safe Antivirus Technologies, Inc., a Toronto-based start-up company that partnered with Guzzo for the study, is developing unique UV-LED lighting modules. With motion sensors, the lights automatically switch to UV light when a room is empty, then turn back to regular light with movement.&nbsp;</p> <p>Though it wasn鈥檛 included in the study, Guzzo and her students compared UV light to two heavy-duty disinfectants used in lab research. They found the lights were similarly effective in their ability to deactivate viruses.</p> <p>鈥淚 was really surprised that UV could perform on the same level of those commonly used lab chemicals, which we regard as the gold standard,鈥 Guzzo says. 鈥淭hat made me think, 鈥極h, my gosh, this is a legitimate tool that's really underutilized.鈥欌</p> <p>While the lights left a small percentage of the virus viable, Guzzo says they could contribute to&nbsp;the 鈥淪wiss cheese model鈥 of defence against COVID-19: Every strategy to fight the spread has its holes, but every layer is another chance to stop straggling virus particles.</p> <p>Repeated exposure to UV light is key to catching those missed particles 鈥 and, fortunately, it鈥檚 as easy as flipping a switch.&nbsp;Guzzo&nbsp;notes that UV-LEDs are cheap and could be easy to retrofit in existing light fixtures, and that the bulbs are long-lasting and simple to maintain. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淵ou could disinfect in a way that wouldn鈥檛 be infringing on people鈥檚 enjoyment of that everyday 鈥榥ormal鈥 life that they long for,鈥 Guzzo says.</p> <p>The lights also benefit from automation. A standardized, germicidal dose of light can be delivered each time, while the process of wiping down spaces with disinfectants leaves room for human error. Plus, chemicals and waste from these disinfectants also end up in watersheds and landfills as hands are washed and wipes thrown away.</p> <p>Guzzo says the research, funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Alliance COVID-19 Grant, suggests UV-LEDs are a tool that could be used to help prevent a future pandemic.</p> <p>鈥淲orldwide events like the COVID-19 pandemic, as terrible as they are, hopefully can still be learned from,鈥 Guzzo says. 鈥淥ne thing we learned is that this is an underutilized tool we should think more about implementing.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 29 Mar 2022 15:30:59 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173795 at 茄子直播 psych prof on 鈥榯he great snapback鈥 and tips for post-lockdown living /news/u-t-psych-prof-great-snapback-and-tips-post-lockdown-living <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 psych prof on 鈥榯he great snapback鈥 and tips for post-lockdown living</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-548833589-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WJl26V1o 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/GettyImages-548833589-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3x3nnwk2 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/GettyImages-548833589-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=NtHwb6s5 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-548833589-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WJl26V1o" alt="People crossing the street as the sun sets."> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-17T15:06:53-05:00" title="Thursday, February 17, 2022 - 15:06" class="datetime">Thu, 02/17/2022 - 15:06</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>As pandemic restrictions are lifted, Steve Joordens, a professor of psychology at 茄子直播 Scarborough, says most Canadians will likely have little difficulty adjusting to more in-person interactions (photo by Evan Mitsui/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/mariam-matti" hreflang="en">Mariam Matti</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/psychology" hreflang="en">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After nearly two years of coping with COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, there鈥檚 a host of new things to consider as pandemic measures begin to ease.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/steve-joordens-headshot.jpeg" width="200" height="300" alt="Steve Joordens"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Steve Joordens</figcaption> </figure> <p>That includes navigating a return to life with far more in-person interactions.</p> <p>鈥淔or the vast majority of us, there will be what I call the great snapback,鈥 says&nbsp;<b>Steve Joordens</b>, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough.</p> <p>鈥淧eople are going to worry beforehand, but once they鈥檙e in that environment for let鈥檚 say a day or two, I predict they鈥檒l be behaving largely like they did pre-pandemic.鈥</p> <p>To learn more,&nbsp;<i>茄子直播 News</i>&nbsp;writer&nbsp;<b>Mariam Matti&nbsp;</b>recently spoke with Joordens about life after the lockdowns.</p> <hr> <p><b>Reflecting on the last two years, what kind of toll have lockdowns and other restrictions had on people?</b></p> <p>It's really reduced our feeling of empowerment. One of the psychological concepts we talk about is something called locus of control. We talk about it being internal or external. Someone with an internal locus of control feels like they have the power to shape their future. Someone with an external locus of control feels like things happen to them. I think we've all shifted a little external over these times.</p> <p>We鈥檝e also run into something that some psychologists call learned helplessness, where we keep feeling like we're going to get out of this and then we get thrown right back in. That makes us start to feel like, 鈥淲ow, there鈥檚 nothing we can do to put an end to this.鈥</p> <p>We鈥檝e also learned the importance of our social connections and those random conversations. We don鈥檛 really know why, but we all feel like something is missing. That鈥檚 probably what鈥檚 missing 鈥 that social connection that we鈥檙e used to feeling.</p> <p><b>What else have people been feeling?</b></p> <p>So many things. The pandemic has been a real challenge to our mental health. At the beginning, the dominant feeling was anxiety. It wasn鈥檛 clear what we should do, and our systems have a special mode when we are anxious, which didn鈥檛 fit the pandemic very well. The special mode, which we call the sympathetic nervous system or the 鈥渇ight or flight鈥 reflex, usually kicks in when something threatens us. But those things that threaten us used to always be what we call acute threats. If a bear popped out of the woods, you鈥檇 fight or flee. Either way an hour from now, the situation would be over.</p> <p>That system gets us up and ready for a challenge. But then it鈥檚 supposed to be able to go back to a rest state afterwards. We鈥檝e been fighting a bear for two years now. The bear just isn鈥檛 leaving. Every morning, we would wake up and it鈥檚 there. When the fight or flight feeling is there for too long, it鈥檚 exhausting. We have hit the exhaustion stage.</p> <p>It's hard to escape the anxiety of it when it鈥檚 always on the news, and it鈥檚 always changing. I think we all just want our old lives back, in a very desperate way. I think that鈥檚 where we kind of are in our minds now.</p> <p><b>What tips do you have to manage these feelings?</b></p> <p>Guided audio relaxations are great. If you can get to know relaxation and get comfortable with knowing how it feels, you can eventually start to command that feeling. So, when you鈥檙e feeling anxious, you cannot feel both anxious and relaxed. Rather than focusing on the anxiety, focus on the relaxation feeling. We all know this intuitively when we say things like, 鈥淭ake deep breaths鈥 鈥 that鈥檚 the relaxation way of breathing. When you鈥檙e taking those deep breaths, you鈥檙e pushing your body into more of a relaxation state. You have to learn that skill.</p> <p>Anxiety is produced by what we're thinking about in our head. If you watch the news, you鈥檙e loading your head up full of scary stuff, and you're going to walk away feeling anxious. You can just as easily use your environment to produce better things up here. Part of it is attending to what does that naturally. We know things like singing, dancing, laughing and social connection are big ones.</p> <p>I suggest to people to learn what makes them feel good, and then use that as medicine. When our system is going nuts, we鈥檙e getting cortisol and adrenaline flushed into our body, and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 causing damage when it keeps being flushed in. When you sing or dance or have a social connection, you have lots of positive hormones start to enter.</p> <p>You鈥檒l never escape it completely, but you need vacations.</p> <p><b>A lot of people have been very isolated or housebound for a long time. How do&nbsp;</b><b>we go back to being social?</b></p> <p>Once we get back into familiar situations, we all have habits about how things work in that context. I sometimes describe it as a warm blanket of familiarity 鈥 we鈥檙e going to feel OK and comfortable. The brain understands a familiar environment and how things work.</p> <p>People are going to worry beforehand, but once most people are in that environment for let鈥檚 say a day or two, I predict they鈥檒l be behaving largely like they did pre-pandemic. These social connections are critical and once we get back into those situations where we can interact with other people, I believe that鈥檚 going to feel natural to us. For the vast majority of us, there will be what I call 鈥渢he great snapback.鈥 They鈥檒l be doing what they always used to do.</p> <p><b>What can somebody do to feel more empowered?</b></p> <p>First, I鈥檒l recommend a hundred-year-old book, which is still relevant. It鈥檚 called&nbsp;<i>How To Win Friends and Influence People&nbsp;</i>by&nbsp;Dale Carnegie. It was published in 1936, but it鈥檚 written very well. It鈥檚 the author talking to salespeople who were going door-to-door during that time. They鈥檇 go and knock on a door, and they would hope they could have some positive interaction with a stranger they just met. Carnegie provides tips and strategies about how to succeed in those situations. To get that empowerment, you need to feel some sense of competence. So, you need to feel like, 鈥淥K, I know how to do this.鈥</p> <p>There is a science to meeting another person and striking up a conversation and it boils down to simple things. One of those things is called active listening. The idea is you鈥檙e talking to that person to better understand them and their perspective.</p> <p>I try to tell students to have a few simple strategies. One of them is preparing six questions before a networking event so they鈥檙e ready to strike up a conversation with a stranger. As they talk, you will get what I call connection points. With those connection points, you can turn the listening into more of a conversation.</p> <p>Where you will really get the empowerment is when people do this a few times and it goes well, and they walk away from that going, 鈥淵ou know, I was anxious going into that, but it went well and I think I made a new friend there.鈥</p> <p>Once you have success doing that then it can almost start to feel addictive. You will feel like you have the tools to do this well, but it鈥檚 a process. Start with the knowledge, what are some tips, strategies, techniques and then add in the practice. It will start to feel less daunting.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 17 Feb 2022 20:06:53 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301139 at False claims about COVID-19 must be repeatedly debunked, study finds /news/false-claims-about-covid-19-must-be-repeatedly-debunked-study-finds <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">False claims about COVID-19 must be repeatedly debunked, study finds</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1229468236-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A6Xrmvj_ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1229468236-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=peY_GRx2 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1229468236-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=EYXVwMw6 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1229468236-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A6Xrmvj_" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-04T14:03:47-05:00" title="Friday, February 4, 2022 - 14:03" class="datetime">Fri, 02/04/2022 - 14:03</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A study involving 茄子直播 researchers found that COVID-19 "fact checks" can be effective, but that frequent exposure is necessary for addressing misinformation during the pandemic (photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/munk-school-staff" hreflang="en">Munk School Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:20px">R<span style="background:white">esearchers&nbsp;at the University of Toronto, Dartmouth College, the University of Exeter and the University of Kent have found&nbsp;that&nbsp;fact checking can quickly correct misperceptions about COVID-19&nbsp;鈥 but that beliefs in wrong information often return.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">The study, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01278-3">published in the journal&nbsp;<i>Nature Human Behaviour</i></a>, asked respondents from the United States, Great Britain and Canada&nbsp;to rate the perceived accuracy of four claims on COVID-19 that have been debunked by scientific and public health authorities: that the Chinese government created the coronavirus as a bioweapon; that a group funded by Bill Gates patented the coronavirus; that antibiotics are effective in preventing and treating COVID-19; and that the medication hydroxychloroquine is proven to cure or prevent COVID-19.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">They found that fact checks did indeed reduce people鈥檚 misperceptions, but that the changes&nbsp;did not persist over time.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px">鈥淥ur findings suggest that fact checks can successfully reduce misperceptions about COVID-19 immediately after people read them,鈥 said study co-author <b>Peter Loewen</b>, director of 茄子直播鈥檚 Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy and a professor in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">鈥淣ow that we know those misperceptions often return, we can expect that convincing someone to adopt new understanding about COVID-19 may include setbacks. We also know that frequent exposure helps so what this tells us is that the best approach is a long term strategy.鈥</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">Study participants shared political and demographic information about themselves and rated the accuracy of both true and false claims about COVID-19. They were then randomly assigned to receive fact-checked or unrelated placebo articles. The research team then compared belief in the claims over time between respondents who were shown the fact checks and those who weren鈥檛.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">The study鈥檚 findings&nbsp;have implications for&nbsp;how we dispel misinformation around the coronavirus pandemic.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">鈥淥ur results suggest that effectively addressing misbeliefs about COVID-19 will require repeatedly debunking false claims about the coronavirus. Otherwise, people will tend to revert back to the level of belief that they had before,鈥 says co-author Brendan Nyhan, the James O. Freedman presidential professor in the department of government at Dartmouth.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">鈥淔act checks were most effective among people who are more vulnerable to misperceptions of COVID-19 at baseline,鈥 said Nyhan. </span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">These groups included supporters of conservative leaders, those with high conspiracy predispositions and those with low trust in health institutions. However, these effects did not persist over time in follow-up surveys conducted in the U.S. and Britain.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">鈥淏y comparing U.S. data on the effects of COVID-19 fact checks to that of Great Britain and Canada, we found that our results are parallel across all three countries, which suggests that the effects are not an artifact of polarization over COVID-19 in the U.S.,鈥 says co-author Jason Reifler, a professor of political science at University of Exeter.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">The study is the first to estimate the effects of fact checks on COVID-19 misperceptions over time and across countries. The results provide evidence that COVID-19 fact checks can be effective but that frequent exposure is necessary for addressing misinformation during the pandemic.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white">John M. Carey from Dartmouth, Andrew M. Guess from Princeton University, <strong>Eric Merkley</strong> from 茄子直播, and Joseph B. Phillips from the University of Kent also contributed to the study, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy and the dean of 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science .</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:20px"><span style="background:white"><i>With files from Amy Olson / Dartmouth.</i></span></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:03:47 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 172546 at Masks, ventilation and vaccines: Three key ways 茄子直播 is preparing for a safe return to in-person activities /news/masks-ventilation-and-vaccines-three-key-ways-u-t-preparing-safe-return-person-activities <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Masks, ventilation and vaccines: Three key ways 茄子直播 is preparing for a safe return to in-person activities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/mask-ven-vaccine-4.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kl6hGjN8 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/mask-ven-vaccine-4.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ItORKiXF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/mask-ven-vaccine-4.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cRNbvzfI 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/mask-ven-vaccine-4.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kl6hGjN8" alt="photos of a woman wearing a surgical mask, a man checking an HVAC system at Myhal and a man receiving a covid vaccination at the exam centre at 茄子直播"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-02T12:07:22-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - 12:07" class="datetime">Wed, 02/02/2022 - 12:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Photos by Pixelfit/Getty Images and Johnny Guatto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">With Ontario beginning to lift COVID-19 restrictions as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-may-have-passed-omricon-peak-1.6323057">experts predict we鈥檙e past the peak</a> of the latest Omicron-driven wave, universities and colleges across the country are preparing to return to in-person learning activities with appropriate safety measures in place.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">That includes the University of Toronto, which will resume some in-person learning and activities across its three campuses on Feb. 7.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淎s we plan for an increasingly vibrant in-person experience for our students, we want to reiterate our commitment to doing all we can to provide safe conditions for working and studying at our campuses,鈥 <b>Cheryl Regehr</b>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president and provost, and <b>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</b>, vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/memos/winter-term-update/">in a recent memo to the community</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e remain vigilant about evolving public health conditions and continue to adjust and adapt our plans based on the guidance of our community of experts.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Salvatore Spadafora</b>, special adviser on COVID-19 to 茄子直播鈥檚 president and senior adviser to the dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, says the reality is that 鈥減robably very few things in our society right now are zero risk,鈥 but that 茄子直播鈥檚 <a href="/utogether/safe-return">12-step plan to address COVID-19</a> remains highly effective at limiting transmission in a university setting.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In particular, he cited the importance of vaccines, masking and ventilation 鈥 all areas where 茄子直播 has robust measures in place.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Spadafora, who is an anesthesiologist, and <b>Alon Vaisman</b>, an infectious disease specialist at the University Health Network and assistant professor in the department of medicine, recently spoke to <i>茄子直播 News </i>about the role each of those three measures plays in reducing risk 鈥 and the updates that have been made following the emergence of the Omicron variant.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Masks</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Masks continue to be required in all indoor spaces on campus, with the university currently recommending medical masks rated ASTM level two or three.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭hese are basically the blue procedure masks you see worn in medical settings and clinics,鈥 Spadafora says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A single-layer cloth mask doesn鈥檛 provide enough protection on its own, he adds, but may be worn over a surgical mask.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The university is working to make the appropriate masks available, as supplies allow, to 茄子直播 community members who are unable to obtain them due to cost or supply chain issues.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">As for how they should be worn, Vaisman says masks should fit snugly, covering one鈥檚 nose, mouth and chin without gaping. High-quality surgical masks can be molded to fit tightly over the bridge of your nose.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲hat you basically want to do is make sure [your mask] is flush and there isn鈥檛 air escaping when you breathe,鈥 says Vaisman, who adds that N95, KN95, and high-grade well-fitting medical masks are all reasonable options.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">KN95 masks are one-size-fits-all, whereas N95s come in a variety of sizes and require proper fit testing.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淵ou don鈥檛 necessarily have to wear an N95 or KN95 to go to class or out in public settings 鈥 the most important aspects of mask wearing are that they are well-fitted and can be comfortably worn for prolonged periods,鈥 Vaisman says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While masks in some health-care settings are single-use only, Vaisman says medical masks can often be used more than once in lower risk environments as long as they aren鈥檛 damaged, moist, or contaminated.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he recommendation from the Public Health Agency of Canada is to wear a well-fitted mask, so certainly a high-grade medical mask works.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Vaccines</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 is encouraging all members of its community to get a booster shot as soon as they become eligible.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While infection among fully vaccinated people, or breakthrough cases, can occur &nbsp;with the Omicron variant, studies show that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788485">a third dose offers more protection</a> against infection compared to two doses or none.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淥micron can potentially outpace the vaccine even if you have three doses, but we do know based on recent data that a third dose is still highly protective, up to 70-plus per cent,鈥 Spadafora says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Importantly, a third dose also does a good job of preventing severe outcomes, Vaisman says. A test negative case control study, cited in <a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/voc/2022/01/covid-19-omicron-b11529-risk-assessment-jan-19.pdf?sc_lang=en">a Public Health Agency of Ontario report</a>, found that a third dose was associated with a 74 per cent reduced risk of hospitalization two-to-four weeks after vaccination, and a 55 per cent to 65 per cent reduction between five and nine weeks.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">To date, 99 per cent of 茄子直播 community members are in full compliance with the university鈥檚 current vaccination mandate after uploading proof-of-vaccination receipts to <a href="/utogether/ucheck">UCheck, the university鈥檚 online tool for self-assessments</a> 鈥 with most of the remaining one per cent on their way to full vaccination.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">UCheck is being updated this week to allow community members to voluntarily upload proof of additional (booster) doses.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Spadafora says he hopes that <a href="/news/u-t-cancels-person-exams-delays-person-classes-due-omicron-variant">茄子直播鈥檚 Dec. 15 decision</a> to delay a return to in-person learning and activities following the holiday break has&nbsp; given 茄子直播 community members the extra time they may have needed to receive booster shots.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">For those who still need a boosters, new appointments are being added daily to the <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/">provincial booking system</a> and <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations">at local pharmacies</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">On the St. George campus, the <a href="https://www.discoverypharmacy.utoronto.ca/services-offered">Discovery Pharmacy</a> in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy campus is now booking vaccinations for all members of the 茄子直播 community, including those without an Ontario health card.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">At 茄子直播 Mississauga, the province鈥檚 GO-VAXX mobile vaccine clinics will be visiting in February. 茄子直播 Scarborough, meanwhile, is planning to host one or more pop-up clinics in the coming weeks 鈥 with details to be posted on the <a href="/utogether/vaccines">Utogether vaccine page</a> when they are available.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Spadafora also reminded community members to remember to fill out the UCheck self-assessment before coming to campus 鈥 and to stay home if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Ventilation</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The university has assessed buildings on its three campuses and upgraded all centralized HVAC system filters to MERV 13, or the highest compatible with existing infrastructure. Moreover, demand-control ventilation measures in all buildings (typically in place to support energy conservation efforts) were disabled to maintain consistent in-air flow.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Ventilation systems are turned on two hours before occupancy every morning to introduce fresh air into buildings, a process known as flushing.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In addition, 茄子直播 measured air flow in classrooms and set a standard of six equivalent air changes per hour after consulting experts and research on COVID-19 transmission. <a href="/news/u-t-assesses-upgrades-classroom-ventilation-it-plans-person-learning-fall">Upgrades were made as required</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 and other universities were among the first organizations to move quickly to upgrade ventilation systems, <b>Colin Furness</b>, a 茄子直播 expert in infection control epidemiology, <a href="/news/really-big-deal-u-t-s-colin-furness-why-ventilation-key-fighting-covid-19">told <i>茄子直播 News</i></a> and <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/the-race-to-make-indoor-air-safer-ahead-of-another-covid-19-winter/"><i>University Affairs</i></a> last fall.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e didn鈥檛 wait for others to say air matters,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he leading voices in Canada are here at the 茄子直播 with respect to infectious disease and epidemiology. We consulted our own internal expertise.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥溓炎又辈 jumped in from the beginning and started prioritizing air and ventilation, which is really smart.鈥</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="/utogether">Learn more at UTogether</a></h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:07:22 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 172539 at 茄子直播 to increase in-person learning and activities in February /news/u-t-increase-person-learning-and-activities-february <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 to increase in-person learning and activities in February</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT87276_u-of-t-engineering_50814372411_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=sbazknpr 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT87276_u-of-t-engineering_50814372411_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WKoAUxXl 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT87276_u-of-t-engineering_50814372411_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5xkYar7F 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT87276_u-of-t-engineering_50814372411_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=sbazknpr" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-01-19T11:27:29-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 19, 2022 - 11:27" class="datetime">Wed, 01/19/2022 - 11:27</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Photo by Daria Perevezentsev)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kelly-hannah-moffat" hreflang="en">Kelly Hannah-Moffat</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cheryl-regehr" hreflang="en">Cheryl Regehr</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The University of Toronto plans to increase in-person learning and activities across its campuses as of Feb. 7 as it seeks to balance the learning needs of students with ongoing efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Specific plans for the return to in-person learning will vary depending on the particular needs and considerations of campuses, divisions and departments 鈥 and, in the case of health sciences faculties, will take into account the current strain on the health system, 茄子直播 said in <a href="/utogether/covid-19-planning-update">a memo to community members</a> Wednesday. Students and instructors will be contacted in the coming days to confirm arrangements, as needed, and more information will be posted <a href="/utogether/information-by-faculty">on the UTogether site</a> as it becomes available.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">In order to support the increased in-person learning, teaching and related activities, 茄子直播 employees who are currently working remotely should be ready to return to campus as of Feb. 7.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>Cheryl Regehr</b>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president and provost, said the university believes the continuation of all levels of education, from pre-school through post-secondary, is vital to students鈥 mental health, as has also been noted by the Ontario Science Advisory Table.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">鈥淥ur students have told us how important physical presence on campus is to them 鈥 both for their academic work and for their mental well-being,鈥 Regehr said. 鈥溓炎又辈 currently hosts thousands of students in our residences, many of whom have travelled far from home to learn and interact with their professors, classmates and friends.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">鈥淔or these reasons, in the coming weeks, we will return to more in-person activities across the three campuses. We know there will be some uncertainty and apprehension around in-person study and work 鈥 and we are relying on expert advice to support our community with enhanced safety measures.鈥</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Those ongoing safety measures 鈥 <a href="/utogether/safe-return">part of 茄子直播鈥檚 12-step plan for a safe reopening</a> 鈥 include 茄子直播鈥檚 vaccination requirement, upgraded ventilation in classrooms and buildings, mask-wearing in indoor spaces and self-screening <a href="/utogether/ucheck">via the UCheck online tool</a>.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">茄子直播鈥檚 decision to resume in-person learning and activities comes five weeks after it <a href="/news/u-t-cancels-person-exams-delays-person-classes-due-omicron-variant">said on Dec. 15 that it was cancelling in-person exams and delaying a return to in-person learning</a> due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">At present, 99 per cent of 茄子直播 community members are in full compliance with the vaccination mandate, with most of the remaining one per cent on their way to full vaccination.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The university is encouraging all members of its community to get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/getting-covid-19-vaccine?gclid=CjwKCAiAxJSPBhAoEiwAeO_fP3rP-VfIk-i78lKD0mft74kGAZhH5FF_WccJqCCLmrHwA3MXofbiABoCqFoQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">as soon as they become eligible</a>. New appointments are added daily to the <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/">provincial booking system</a> and <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations">at local pharmacies</a>. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.discoverypharmacy.utoronto.ca/services-offered">Discovery Pharmacy</a> in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is now booking vaccinations for all members of the 茄子直播 community, including those without an Ontario health card.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Almost 110,000 people have uploaded their vaccine information to UCheck, which will be updated the week of Jan. 31 to allow for voluntary uploads of booster dose documentation.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">茄子直播 is also working to make medical masks available, as supplies allow, to community members who are unable to obtain them elsewhere. The university will also prioritize the use of rapid screening kits 鈥 supplies are limited at this time 鈥 for higher-risk situations. More information on both masks and rapid screening <a href="/utogether">can be found at UTogether</a>.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Ontario鈥檚 Ministry of Colleges and Universities has confirmed that, due to the public health measures implemented on campuses, as well as the high level of compliance with vaccination mandates, post-secondary institutions are not subject to restrictions on distancing or capacity limits in instructional spaces.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</b>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said that 茄子直播 is grateful to employees for adapting to evolving working conditions during the pandemic.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">鈥淲e are extremely proud of our employees for adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19 鈥 particularly those staff who have been working in-person on our campuses throughout the pandemic, including caretakers, residence and library staff, lab technicians,&nbsp;grounds and maintenance staff, and campus safety services,鈥 Hannah-Moffat said.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">鈥淲e continue to remain vigilant about evolving public health conditions and will adapt our plans in order to provide a safe and supportive work environment for all our employees.鈥</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Hannah-Moffat said staff will be contacted by their managers to discuss specific plans for the return to campus. She added that 茄子直播 continues to encourage flexibility and support for employees with child-care responsibilities resulting from potential cancellation of in-person schooling and daycare.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Hannah-Moffat noted that faculty members and librarians can contact their dean, chair, director or supervisor to discuss their workload assignments 鈥 and that all employees can take advantage of the <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Get-to-Know-HomewoodHealthEFAP.pdf">Employee &amp; Family Assistance Program</a>, provided at no cost 24 hours a day, to address their wellness needs.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The Robarts and Gerstein Libraries on the St. George campus, 茄子直播 Mississauga Library and 茄子直播 Scarborough Library are open to members of the 茄子直播 community, <a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/library-hours">as are other libraries on the three campuses</a>. Divisions will also make non-classroom spaces available to students so they can study and eat between classes while observing physical distancing.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Students who need wellness support are encouraged to reach out to the <a href="https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca/my-student-support-program/">My Student Support Program (My SSP)</a> for confidential, 24-hour support.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Regehr said the university is committed to providing safe conditions for working and studying on all three campuses 鈥 and will continue to remain vigilant about evolving public health conditions.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">鈥淲e are confident that our enhanced safety measures, high vaccination rate and the continued efforts of the entire 茄子直播 community will allow for a safe and vibrant in-person experience for our students,鈥 she said.</span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:27:29 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 172208 at Reopened vaccine clinic on St. George campus set to deliver more than 30,000 doses during latest wave /news/reopened-vaccine-clinic-st-george-campus-set-deliver-more-30000-doses-during-latest-wave <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Reopened vaccine clinic on St. George campus set to deliver more than 30,000 doses during latest wave</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT87520_2021-03-11-Vaccine-Clinic_1-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RqmlIXao 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/UofT87520_2021-03-11-Vaccine-Clinic_1-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=VcAMYd0i 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/UofT87520_2021-03-11-Vaccine-Clinic_1-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9Q2rQDOb 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT87520_2021-03-11-Vaccine-Clinic_1-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RqmlIXao" alt="Erin Bearss"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-01-14T14:24:24-05:00" title="Friday, January 14, 2022 - 14:24" class="datetime">Fri, 01/14/2022 - 14:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Erin Bearss, chief of family medicine and an ER doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital, is pictured last spring in the vaccine clinic at 茄子直播's Exam Centre, which is operated by University Health Network &nbsp;(Photo by Johnny Guatto)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mount-sinai-hospital" hreflang="en">Mount Sinai Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">When the Omicron variant hit Ontario late last year, <b>Erin Bearss</b> remembers thinking to herself: 鈥淗ere we go again.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Chief of family medicine and an ER doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital, Bearss helps run&nbsp;a vaccine clinic&nbsp;鈥 operated by University Health Network, with&nbsp;significant participation by Sinai Health and University&nbsp;of Toronto clinicians, administrators and faculty&nbsp;鈥 that鈥檚&nbsp;located in 茄子直播鈥檚 Exam Centre on McCaul Street.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The McCaul Street clinic re-opened its doors on Dec. 19 (it was previously in operation from&nbsp;March through September last year)&nbsp;and has since delivered roughly 1,500 shots a day and will soon surpass the 30,000-mark. Appointments can be made online through the provincial booking system.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">More than 23 months into the pandemic, Bearss said it鈥檚 disappointing to see case counts at record highs, but stresses that her staff remain eager to get shots in arms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淎s soon as it became apparent that there was going to be a demand for boosters and that our clinic was going to be needed again, everybody was right back in there putting their hand up, wanting to help out,鈥 said Bearss, an assistant professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">She spoke to <i>茄子直播 News</i> while she was self-isolating after family members contracted the virus and were experiencing mild symptoms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淎nyone who visits our clinic will be impressed with the efficiency, processes and organization and what have you 鈥 and that鈥檚 in large part due to the people who are here day in and day out.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The McCaul Street clinic 鈥 which will be the <a href="/news/extraordinary-times-art-installation-capture-u-t-s-mass-vaccination-effort?utm_source=UofTHome&amp;utm_medium=WebsiteBanner&amp;utm_content=UofTMassVaccinationEffort">subject of an upcoming art exhibit</a> 鈥 follows the vaccine eligibility criteria and ethical guidelines set by the province. In recent weeks, staff have mainly been delivering booster shots, but have days reserved for children aged five to 11 receiving their first or second dose.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淎dults who need their first or second dose are obviously very welcome,鈥 Bearss noted.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 is also offering COVID-19 vaccinations at the <a href="https://www.discoverypharmacy.utoronto.ca/services-offered">Discovery Pharmacy at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a>, where members of the 茄子直播 community who do not have an Ontario Health Card 鈥 such as international students 鈥 can register for an appointment. 茄子直播 Scarbough is hosting a testing centre on its campus.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">From March to September last year, roughly 56,000 people received their shots at the McCaul Street clinic. The&nbsp;university also hosted <a href="/news/mass-vaccination-clinic-hosted-u-t-mississauga-winds-down-after-more-335000-doses">a large vaccine clinic at 茄子直播 Mississauga</a> in partnership with Trillium Health Partners and Peel Public Health last spring, <a href="/news/u-t-scarborough-hosts-weekly-pop-vaccine-clinics-area-residents">a regular pop-up clinic at 茄子直播 Scarborough</a> in partnership with Scarborough Health Network and several <a href="/news/u-t-faculty-staff-and-students-help-run-pop-vaccination-clinics-covid-19-hot-spots">pop-up clinics across the city</a>, delivering hundreds of thousands of additional doses. There were also <a href="/news/u-t-hosts-vaccine-clinic-pow-wow-varsity-stadium">special pop-up clinics</a> that allowed Indigenous community members to get their doses in a <a href="/news/u-t-s-dalla-lana-school-public-health-provides-culturally-safe-vaccinations-indigenous-peoples">culturally safe space</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The ongoing immunization drive at 茄子直播 is a co-ordinated effort involving faculty and students in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Actors from the <a href="https://spp.utoronto.ca">standardized patient program</a>, which provides patient simulations for students in health-care fields, work as clerical staff.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 pharmacists, pharmacy students, along with&nbsp;pharmacists and technicians&nbsp;from hospital partners belonging to the&nbsp;Toronto Academic Health Science Network,&nbsp;work behind the scenes to prepare vaccines at the McCaul Street clinic. They also supported a low-barrier, one-day vaccination clinic recently at Zanzibar Tavern, an adult entertainment nightclub on Yonge St. As part of a pilot project, the pharmacy team prepared vaccines at the McCaul Street clinic 鈥 where there was more space 鈥 and sent the doses to Zanzibar using a specialized courier service.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he University Health Network team wanted to use our pharmacy team as a way to try this model 鈥 to see if it could be an efficient and effective way to get doses mass produced and safely transported to another nearby site,鈥 says <b>Linda Dresser</b>, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy. 鈥淲e were there in the background, as pharmacy often is 鈥 the cog that makes the magic happen out front.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The demand for shots at Zanzibar exceeded expectations, with a line that at times stretched from the front door to Yonge-Dundas Square. Although they only planned to prepare 800 doses for that day, the pharmacy team ended up making 1,100, Dresser said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t resulted in, sometimes, a little bit of catching up to do 鈥 but everybody was very patient, and more people got vaccine that day than we had planned 鈥 so that was all good,鈥 Dresser said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One upshot of organizing the vaccine clinics has been the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and clinicians across 茄子直播 and Toronto-area hospitals, Dresser added.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he university will be richer for this whole endeavour that we鈥檝e gone through, and faculties that maybe haven鈥檛 collaborated in such a way before now have something they can draw on again in the future.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 19:24:24 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301118 at With gyms closed, online programs to keep 茄子直播 community fitness 鈥 and spirits 鈥 high /news/gyms-closed-online-programs-keep-u-t-community-fitness-and-spirits-high <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With gyms closed, online programs to keep 茄子直播 community fitness 鈥 and spirits 鈥 high</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Sport-and-Rec-goes-online-ps-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9u0Yn-Jh 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/Sport-and-Rec-goes-online-ps-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MpMM1Cl1 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/Sport-and-Rec-goes-online-ps-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=F4vvF5oI 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Sport-and-Rec-goes-online-ps-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9u0Yn-Jh" alt="woman doing crunches on a yoga mat in her living room"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-01-11T15:54:18-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 11, 2022 - 15:54" class="datetime">Tue, 01/11/2022 - 15:54</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by hobo_018/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fitness" hreflang="en">Fitness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:8px">If you鈥檙e looking for ways to keep physically active despite the closure of indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, experts at the University of Toronto have got you covered.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:18px">鈥淥ur faculty鈥檚 mission is to develop and advance knowledge about the interactions of physical activity and health,鈥 says Professor <b>Gretchen Kerr</b>, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education. 鈥淗aving to hit the pause button on our sport and recreation programs 鈥&nbsp;just as they were starting to fully reopen 鈥&nbsp;is difficult, but we鈥檝e been down this road before and are ready to pivot once again to support our students and community as best we can.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:18px">Although <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001394/ontario-temporarily-moving-to-modified-step-two-of-the-roadmap-to-reopen">the reintroduction by Ontario of COVID-19 restrictions</a> means buildings operated by the faculty鈥檚 <a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/faculty-news/updates-sport-rec-programs-and-services-covid-19-fall-2020">Sport &amp; Rec</a> program are closed and indoor sport and recreation activity paused until at least Jan. 26, virtual fitness programs remain available to 茄子直播 students and Sport &amp; Rec members.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="background:white">鈥淲e know that physical activity is a critical tool for maintaining overall wellness 鈥 now, more than ever,鈥 says <b>Beth Ali</b>, executive director of athletics and physical activity at 茄子直播. 鈥淲e will continue to provide online programs for different interests and abilities in an effort to support the wellbeing of our students and the broader 茄子直播 community.鈥</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px"><span style="background:white"><a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/sport-recreationregistered-programs-and-instruction/virtual-fitness-studio"><b>Virtual Fitness Studio</b></a>, a partnership between Sport &amp; Rec, Hart House and 茄子直播 Mississauga, offers daily, live workouts and access to an extensive on-demand library of workouts that can be used any time.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px"><span style="background:white"><a href="https://www.moveu.ca/moveuanywhere"><b>MoveU Anywhere!</b></a><b>&nbsp;</b>workout videos promote physical activity and a healthy active lifestyle 鈥 no equipment required. They have been benefitting all of 茄子直播鈥檚 community since the pandemic started in 2020. </span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px"><span style="background:white">鈥淚t鈥檚 really important for people to stay physically active during these trying times,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Adrian Lightowler</strong>, manager of fitness and performance at Sport &amp; Rec.</span></p> <p><span style="background:white">Lightowler says you can get the same benefits from working out in your home as you would in the gym 鈥&nbsp;it just requires a bit more creativity. The online workouts require no special equipment. All participants need to do is pick a class that fits their schedule.</span></p> <p><span style="background:white">鈥淕ym regulars are going to get a good workout out of these classes, but for those who don鈥檛 go to the gym regularly or ever, this is an opportunity to get in some exercise in the comfort of their own homes,鈥 he says.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="background:white">And&nbsp;鈥 in case you missed it&nbsp;鈥 here is a collection of&nbsp;tips, tricks and research KPE experts shared when it comes to staying happy and healthy during the pandemic:</span></p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom:8px; text-align:center"> <hr align="center" size="0" width="100%"></div> <h3>Stay Active</h3> <p><img alt="close up of woman's feet jogging up a flight of stairs" class="media-element file-media-original" data-delta="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/Photo-by-Bruno-Nascimento-on-Unsplash-crop.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(Bruno Nascimento via Unsplash)</em></p> <p>Is it safe&nbsp;to keep exercising amid COVID-19? Does it help build immunity? How do you motivate children and seniors&nbsp;to stay active indoors?&nbsp;Experts <strong>Ira Jacobs</strong>, <strong>Catherine Sabiston</strong>, <strong>David Frost</strong> and <strong>Daniel Santa Mina</strong> <a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/faculty-news/staying-active-times-pandemic-kpe-experts-share-insights-and-tips">weigh in</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Eat well</h3> <p><img alt="healthy looking salad with avocado, tomatos and other vegetables" class="media-element file-media-original" data-delta="2" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/Photo-by-Brooke-Lark-on-Unsplash-crop.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Brooke Lark via Unsplash)</em></p> <p>Having trouble staying physically distanced from your fridge? How can you eat healthily while keeping your grocery bill in check?&nbsp;Sport nutritionist <strong>Katherine Jessop&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://kpe.utoronto.ca/varsity-blues-news/eating-healthy-times-pandemic-q-varsity-blues-nutritionist-katherine-jessop">shares some advice on the dos and don鈥檛s</a> of pandemic eating.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Snack ... on exercise</h3> <p> <img height="500" width="750" class="media-element file-media-original" data-delta="3" typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/exercise-snacks-istock-image-crop.jpeg" alt="woman stands up and stretches at her desk" loading="lazy"> </p> <p><em>(Photo by Andrey Popov/123RF)</em></p> <p>Slipped up and ate two bowls of ice cream instead of one? Here鈥檚 some good news: Even <a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/faculty-news/short-exercise-snacks-improve-blood-sugar-regulation-following-meal-new-study-finds">short exercise 鈥渟nacks鈥 improve blood sugar regulation following a meal</a>, according to a KPE study.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Healthy body, healthy mind</h3> <p> <img height="500" width="750" class="media-element file-media-original" data-delta="4" typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/GettyImages-1192482495-crop.jpeg" alt="woman running" loading="lazy"> </p> <p><em>(Photo by&nbsp;baona via Getty Images)</em></p> <p>Professor <strong>Catherine Sabiston</strong> unpacks the well-documented relationship on&nbsp;<a href="/news/how-exercise-and-simple-act-moving-your-body-can-improve-mental-health">how exercise and the simple act of moving your body can improve mental health</a>&nbsp;鈥 and offers several tips for people seeking to ramp up their activity levels while staying at home.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:54:18 +0000 lanthierj 301152 at How far does a little kindness go? 茄子直播 researcher examines how doing good improves mental health /news/how-far-does-little-kindness-go-u-t-researcher-examines-how-doing-good-improves-mental-health <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How far does a little kindness go? 茄子直播 researcher examines how doing good improves mental health</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1221582773-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=z6MP-5me 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1221582773-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1cC7lyce 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1221582773-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=c2dRR2WQ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1221582773-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=z6MP-5me" alt="Woman delivers groceries to elderly couple"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-01-03T13:10:36-05:00" title="Monday, January 3, 2022 - 13:10" class="datetime">Mon, 01/03/2022 - 13:10</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by xavierarnau via Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sharon-aschaiek" hreflang="en">Sharon Aschaiek</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mental-health" hreflang="en">Mental Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/psychology" hreflang="en">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Most of us intuitively know that kindness can not only&nbsp;alleviate the suffering of others, but&nbsp;help us feel better. Now, researchers at the University of Toronto are taking steps to confirm the relationship between kindness and well-being.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Andrew Miles</strong>, an associate professor of sociology at 茄子直播 Mississauga,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>is&nbsp;exploring&nbsp;how our mental and emotional well-being during the pandemic can be safeguarded by prosocial behaviour, which are acts focused on the welfare of others.</p> <p>At a time when heightened fear, uncertainty, isolation and economic hardship are causing greater anxiety and depression, Miles says&nbsp;we need to better understand the healing effects of kindness.</p> <p>鈥淚f there鈥檚 anything we can contribute to help people remain emotionally stable during the pandemic and stave off some degree of the mental health challenges 鈥 that is the imperative behind this study,鈥 says Miles, principal investigator of 茄子直播 Mississauga鈥檚 Morality, Action and Cognition Lab.</p> <p>Miles is collaborating with&nbsp;<strong>Meena Andiappan</strong>, assistant professor at 茄子直播鈥檚 Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, <strong>Laura Upenieks</strong>, a 茄子直播 alumna and assistant professor of sociology at Baylor University in Texas,&nbsp;and 茄子直播 Mississauga sociology student&nbsp;<strong>Christos Orfanidis</strong>. The study received support from 茄子直播鈥檚 Toronto <a href="/news/u-t-support-31-high-impact-coronavirus-research-projects-through-toronto-covid-19-action-fund">COVID-19 Action Fund</a>, which was set up by 茄子直播 and its hospital partners in 2020 to support high-impact research that contributes to the global fight against the coronavirus.</p> <p>About 1,000 participants recruited online from Canada and the U.S. are being randomly assigned to perform either prosocial, self-focused or neutral behaviours three days a week for three weeks. Among the prosocial acts reported to researchers so far: volunteering to deliver food to the elderly; donating money to Doctors without Borders; spreading sand on an icy sidewalk; helping a couple carry their groceries; and pushing a stranger鈥檚 car out of the snow.</p> <p>Five weeks after the start of the intervention, the participants are being extensively surveyed to determine the effects of these behaviours on&nbsp;their emotional well-being: how happy they perceive themselves to be, whether they believe their life is valuable&nbsp;and their mental health&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;specifically anxiety and depression.</p> <p>Miles says the study builds on the growing positive psychology movement, which is concerned with understanding what makes life most worth living&nbsp;鈥 both at the individual and societal levels. Rooted in millennia-old religious and philosophical discourses, the area of study only became a formal discipline about two decades ago.</p> <p>鈥淚n some respects, the scientific world is catching up with things that have been long recognized or taught in philosophies, so this is not a new idea, but it鈥檚 starting to be given scholarly attention,鈥 Miles says.</p> <p>The discipline鈥檚 scientific literature currently includes few insights on whether the positive impacts of kindness endure over the long term.</p> <p>鈥淲e know that when we do nice things for others, it makes us feel good, it uplifts our emotions, and it has us feeling like we鈥檙e a better person,鈥 Miles says. 鈥淲e want to see if these effects are short term blips, or have lasting benefits.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 03 Jan 2022 18:10:36 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301088 at 鈥楨xtraordinary times鈥: Art installation to capture 茄子直播鈥檚 mass vaccination effort /news/extraordinary-times-art-installation-capture-u-t-s-mass-vaccination-effort <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">鈥楨xtraordinary times鈥: Art installation to capture 茄子直播鈥檚 mass vaccination effort</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%287%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7e2dWDyO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%287%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=sfZVuRPF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%287%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5NNTpnZu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%287%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7e2dWDyO" alt="a table full of test strips of greg ellwand's paintings"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>mattimar</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-12-21T12:20:52-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 21, 2021 - 12:20" class="datetime">Tue, 12/21/2021 - 12:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Nine paintings by Greg Ellwand, a staff member at the vaccine clinic hosted on the St. George campus, document 茄子直播's effort to support the province's COVID-19 immunization campaign and will be put on display next year (photo by Johnny Guatto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/mariam-matti" hreflang="en">Mariam Matti</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sinai-health" hreflang="en">Sinai Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/provost" hreflang="en">Provost</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">On a quiet day in the COVID-19 vaccine clinic hosted on the University of Toronto鈥檚 St. George campus earlier this year, <b>Greg Ellwand</b>, a staff member, picked up his iPad and began sketching the scene around him.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲hen there was a lull, I鈥檇 start talking to my colleagues and find out who they are and what they do,鈥 he recalls. 鈥淲hile I did that, I鈥檇 start sketching.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t happened in the little spaces between reality.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">What began as a pastime for Ellwand soon turned into a focused project to document an unprecedented moment in 茄子直播鈥檚 history when all three campuses, local public health authorities and hospital partners came together to help with Canada鈥檚 largest mass-vaccination drive.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Nine of Ellwand鈥檚 paintings will be put on display next year as part of a planned art installation. The works reflect what it was like to receive a vaccine at the St. George clinic, located in the Exam Centre on McCaul Street, that was run by the University Health Network, 茄子直播 and Sinai Health. The clinic recently re-opened to deliver third shots amid the Omicron wave.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">To date, university-hosted vaccine clinics on the St. George, 茄子直播 Mississauga and 茄子直播 Scarborough campuses have delivered nearly 420,000 doses to their local communities in Toronto and Peel Region.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of the members of the 茄子直播 community for offering their time and expertise to support the province鈥檚 mass vaccination effort,鈥 said <b>Trevor Young</b>, acting vice-president and provost, and dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t鈥檚 a great example of how our incredible faculty, staff and students came together during this unprecedented time.鈥</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%281%29-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Greg Ellwand&nbsp;conducted check-ins at the clinic and was later tapped to document the effort&nbsp;after his iPad sketches were noticed by the clinic鈥檚 manager&nbsp;(photo by Johnny Guatto)&nbsp;</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">From day one, the operation of the 茄子直播-hosted clinics was 鈥 and continues to be 鈥 a team effort.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">At the St. George clinic, health-care workers administered vaccines according to the province鈥檚 guidelines alongside staff from 茄子直播鈥檚 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, who prepared doses and ensure cold chains are properly maintained throughout the vaccine鈥檚 transport.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The exam centre clinic also relied on staff from the Standardized Patient Program in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine to help with check-ins, registration, health screenings and other administrative tasks. The program recruits and trains people to portray the role of a patient. It allows students to learn in a clinical environment as well as practice physical exam and communication skills.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Susan Camm</b>, the clinic manager and clinical team lead at 茄子直播鈥檚 Health &amp; Wellness, says she was amazed by the 鈥渆nthusiastic and committed鈥 group.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淢ost of the improvements, regarding process, operation and flow, came from that team,鈥 she says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">As a member of the program, Ellwand was charged with conducting check-ins at the clinic 鈥 until Camm noticed his sketches and saw an opportunity to document the clinic鈥檚 work.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t took someone like Susan Camm to see the possibilities,鈥 Ellwand says. 鈥淚 wish the world was full of more people like her.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">After Camm saw his drawings, Ellwand鈥檚 role officially changed to artist-in-residence. He started going to work&nbsp;鈥 not to conduct check-ins, but to observe and draw what he saw.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚 felt the weight of responsibility in it being a historical event,鈥 he says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The university鈥檚 effort to support the country鈥檚 mass vaccination effort began at 茄子直播 Mississauga, which opened the doors to the first 茄子直播-hosted mass vaccination clinic <a href="/news/u-t-aid-historic-vaccination-effort-host-mississauga-clinic">on March 1</a> 鈥 near the height of the pandemic鈥檚 third wave. Working in collaboration with Trillium Health Partners and Peel Public Health, staff administered 335,000 doses to local members of the community over the course of five months. A few weeks later, the St. George clinic was up and running 鈥 and went on to deliver 55,000 doses before winding down eight months later. 茄子直播 Scarborough, meanwhile, worked with the Scarborough Health Network to deliver nearly 27,500 doses at <a href="/news/u-t-scarborough-hosts-weekly-pop-vaccine-clinics-area-residents">weekly pop-up clinics</a> in Highland Hall.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The university also hosted a <a href="/news/u-t-hosts-vaccine-clinic-pow-wow-varsity-stadium">vaccine clinic pow wow</a> and pop-up clinics in June to provide Indigenous Peoples with a culturally safe place to receive their vaccinations. Volunteers danced and played hand drums while community members received their shots inside Varsity Stadium. More recently, 茄子直播 partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Metrolinx to bring a <a href="/news/u-t-partners-health-ministry-metrolinx-bring-go-vaxx-bus-campus">mobile vaccine clinic</a> to the St. George Campus over the fall.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 faculty, staff and students also <a href="/news/u-t-faculty-staff-and-students-help-run-pop-vaccination-clinics-covid-19-hot-spots">helped run pop-up clinics</a> in hot spots across the city.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Much like the vaccine clinics themselves, the planned art installation that鈥檚 meant to commemorate the effort on the St. George campus has taken a team to put together.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Funding was made provided by 茄子直播鈥檚 Facilities &amp; Services 鈥 with Camm noting <b>Ron Saporta</b>, chief operating officer, property services and sustainability, sponsored the installation and has been 鈥渋ncredibly supportive鈥 of the idea from day one.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">To create the installation itself, Ellwand has been working closely with <b>Sherry Chunqing Liu</b>, a first-year student in the master<b> </b>of visual studies program at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. Liu has spent many afternoons in the exam centre, observing the traffic flow of the building, drafting floor plans and measuring spatial dimensions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he overarching narrative is twofold 鈥 one is about Ellwand鈥檚 creative process from sketching what he was experiencing to later incorporating more futuristic, vibrant and imaginative elements,鈥 Liu says. 鈥淎nother aspect is about the spatial dialogues among the artworks, the experience of members of the clinic, and the viewer of this exhibition.鈥</p> <p><span id="cke_bm_3765S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/2021-12-06-Greg-Ellwand-%285%29-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Sherry Chunqing Liu, left,<b>&nbsp;</b>a&nbsp;master<b> </b>of visual studies student at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, is working with Ellwand, right, to create an installation (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Liu hopes that when visitors see the artwork, it 鈥渃an evoke contemplation or even interpretation around what happened in this space during the time of the clinic.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Ellwand says he first sketched in black and white, but later was inspired to incorporate colour and space as a theme in his artwork.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚n the early days of the clinic, it felt like we were flying a spaceship in the blackness of the unknown,鈥 he says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Ultimately, he wants people to have fun with his work. 鈥淧eople can let their imagination run a little wilder.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">When Camm first asked Ellwand to take on the artist-in-residence role, she had no idea that an art installation would be the result.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲hen we started, no one was vaccinated. The workers were exposing themselves to the public every day, which was not without risk,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 think his artwork really captures the essence of our work and the experience.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Ellwand, who has returned to work at the reopened St. George clinic, says he鈥檚 excited for the public to see his art when the installation is finally ready.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he clinic was here during extraordinary times,鈥 he says. 鈥淢y paintings honour those who put themselves on the front lines.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 21 Dec 2021 17:20:52 +0000 mattimar 171633 at Web-based version of 茄子直播 researcher's CARD game helps improve kids鈥 vaccination experience /news/web-based-version-u-t-researcher-s-card-game-helps-improve-kids-vaccination-experience <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Web-based version of 茄子直播 researcher's CARD game helps improve kids鈥 vaccination experience</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/DSC05216-lead.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Unjj34IV 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/DSC05216-lead.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=h7B-iL1J 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/DSC05216-lead.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4xB1hi2t 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/DSC05216-lead.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Unjj34IV" alt="The online version of the CARD game on a phone"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-12-16T16:32:38-05:00" title="Thursday, December 16, 2021 - 16:32" class="datetime">Thu, 12/16/2021 - 16:32</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>The online version of the CARD game, originally developed by 茄子直播's Anna Taddio, educates children, parents and caregivers on how to use evidence-based pain and anxiety management strategies during vaccination (photo by Steve Southon)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kate-richards" hreflang="en">Kate Richards</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With COVID-19 vaccines now available in Canada for kids five to 11 years old, many parents and caregivers are looking for ways to help younger children have a positive vaccination experience 鈥 and a system created by a University of Toronto researcher may be able to help.</p> <p><strong>Anna Taddio</strong>, a professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a senior associate scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and her team have developed&nbsp;<a href="http://immunize.ca/card-game-kids">a web-based version of the CARD&nbsp;game</a>&nbsp;(short for Comfort, Ask, Relax and Distract)&nbsp;she originally created to help kids receiving vaccines in school-based programs.&nbsp;The&nbsp;system addresses fear of needles through pain management and coping strategies.</p> <p>The new web-based version of the<i>&nbsp;</i>game is intended for younger kids who are currently being encouraged to get vaccinated.</p> <p>鈥淲e want to help younger kids, especially now that they are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines,鈥&nbsp;Taddio said. 鈥淭hey can play the game on their own or with caregivers to learn how to cope with fear and pain during vaccination.鈥</p> <p>Earlier this year, Taddio&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-expert-anxiety-and-needles-tapped-support-covid-19-immunization-campaign">received federal funding</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;鈥渄esign and implement pain mitigation strategies for adults鈥 in support of the country鈥檚 mass vaccination campaign to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;As vaccines for COVID-19 first began to rollout in 2021, Taddio鈥檚 system was shared with health-care networks and the public to help people feel more comfortable when receiving their vaccinations. The CARD<i>&nbsp;</i>system has been used across the province including in specialized vaccination clinics run by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health&nbsp;and Ottawa Public Health.</p> <p>In collaboration with Immunize Canada, the game was developed by&nbsp;Anthony Ilersich,&nbsp;a fourth-year&nbsp;student in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo.</p> <p>鈥淲e developed the web-based game because if the material is interactive and easy to play online, it should be all the more effective,鈥 said Ilersich who was the lead-developer on the CARD&nbsp;game project.</p> <p>鈥淰accination is our strongest defense against preventable diseases. It keeps our children, families, and communities healthy,鈥 said Lucie Marisa Bucci, senior manager, Immunize Canada. 鈥淚mmunize Canada is proud to have partnered on the CARD<sup>&nbsp;</sup>web game because it applies the best evidence and all that we know to make the vaccination experience more positive for everyone.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/card-playing-image4-crop_0.jpeg" width="1140" height="760" alt="A girl playing the CARD vaccination game"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The CARD game&nbsp;addresses a fear of needles through pain management and coping strategies&nbsp;(photo courtesy of Immunize Canada)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The new game is web-based and accessible on any mobile device. Parents and kids can visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://immunize.ca/card-game-kids">Immunize Canada website</a>&nbsp;to play the game and learn about coping strategies ahead of time. Children can then use the game as a coping strategy during the actual vaccination procedure.</p> <p>鈥淭he new online CARD<sup>&nbsp;</sup>game is not only an exceptional all-in-one resource for teaching kids how to reduce pain and anxiety during vaccination; it is also an important tool for every parent and caregiver preparing to vaccinate their child,鈥 Bucci said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Prior to the pandemic,&nbsp;Niagara Region implemented a paper-based CARD program across all schools in the area and, in&nbsp;2015, Taddio鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://phm.utoronto.ca/helpinkids/">HELPinKids&amp;Adults</a>&nbsp;Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) about mitigating pain during vaccination was adopted across Canada and internationally, including by the World Health Organization.&nbsp;</p> <p>Additional partners who collaborated on the CARD game include: Anxiety Canada, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the University of Guelph.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 16 Dec 2021 21:32:38 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301224 at