1 Feb 2021
Paramedics are at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but details of what puts them most at risk of exposure have not yet been studied.
In collaboration with researchers at the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, OCRC scientists are leading a study to investigate occupational risk factors associated with COVID-19 amongst paramedics, as well as infection rates, vaccination rates, and immunity measures. The study is funded by the Government of Canada through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.
The results of the study will inform workplace health and safety guidelines aimed at protecting paramedics from developing COVID-19, as well as future infectious disease outbreaks, by identifying high-risk tasks and effective prevention control strategies. Immunity will be investigated by measuring antibody levels in the blood over time, to determine how many paramedics have had COVID-19 (even if they were asymptomatic) or been vaccinated, and how long their antibodies last.
The study is now recruiting paramedics in Ontario and British Columbia. Participants will be asked to complete surveys and give blood samples three times over a one-year time period.
Visit the study website to learn more.
The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum’s CIM Magazine highlighted results from the Opioid-Related Harms Among Ontario Workers study…
OCRC is working with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) to establish the Exposure Data…
Advancing Workplace Exposure Surveillance in Canada presents the proceedings of a workshop hosted by OCRC in March 2023, attended by approximately…