• Home
• Newsroom
• COVID-19 News

ICES Scientists in the news regarding covid-19

May 19, 2022

• Omicron triples Canada's COVID-19 infection count, study shows — National Post

May 15, 2022

• The good news story of Toronto’s pandemic response — Toronto Star

May 6, 2022

• Increasing third-dose COVID vaccine coverage more important than expanding fourth doses, infectious disease experts say — Ottawa Citizen

May 4, 2022

• COVID: mRNA vaccines highly effective for people with immune-related inflammatory diseases, study finds — CTV News

April 18, 2022

• Where to find Paxlovid in Toronto and the GTA — Toronto Star

April 7, 2022

• New evidence suggests pandemic is having a lasting impact on cancer patients — Global News

April 4, 2022

• Cancer treatment and diagnosis backlogs during COVID-19 may affect cancer survival — The Conversation

March 31, 2022

• As some countries roll out fourth doses of COVID vaccine, Canada is struggling to get citizens to take a third — Toronto Star

March 29, 2022

• Canada headed towards 6th COVID-19 wave this spring, experts warn — Global News

March 22, 2022

• Ontario's homeless community is falling behind in vaccine coverage as province drops pandemic restrictions — CTV News

March 21, 2022

• Cancer surgery delays caused by COVID-19 could lead to shorter life spans: study — Global News
• Ontario doctors speak up about the need to plan and prepare for future pandemics — The Star

March 19, 2022

• COVID-19 hasn't gone anywhere in Canada — and we could still see another surge — CBC

March 18, 2022

• Women who gave birth during pandemic depressed by lack of family supports — CBC

March 17, 2022

• Is Canada dropping its COVID-19 guard too quickly? Experts weigh in — Global News
• Canada won’t necessarily see another COVID-19 wave, experts say — Global News

March 16, 2022

• Omicron may hang around longer on surfaces than original virus, early findings suggest — CBC

March 15, 2022

• ‘Can’t we have lives too?’: High-risk Canadians feel forgotten as COVID rules lift — The Star
• How can hospitals learn to live with COVID-19? — The Star

March 11, 2022

• 'Significant increase' in opioids dispensed to Ontario long-term care homes during COVID-19: study — CBC
• Western University study analyzes COVID vaccination rate among homeless — The London Free Press

March 10, 2022

• Time for a regular checkup? Here's what doctors say you should ask about — CBC

March 4, 2022

• Ontario lifting restrictions "a bit too soon," expert says — The Belleville Intelligencer

February 28, 2022

• Vaccine passports: Ditching it, keeping it — or requiring 3 doses — CBC

February 26, 2022

• Canada's abandoning of COVID-19 testing leaves us vulnerable to future variants, experts say — CBC

February 24, 2022

• First Canadian vaccine approved for COVID — The Star

February 21, 2022

• Do vaccine passports work? Ontario’s was followed by a bump in second doses — The Star

February 14, 2022

• ‘Catastrophic’ surgical backlog in Ontario will take years to clear, doctors say — The Star
• Politicians have made it clear: we’re going to ‘learn to live with COVID.’ But that can’t be without lessons learned — The Star
• Two-thirds of Canadians ready to drop COVID-19 restrictions — The Natioanl Post

February 11, 2022

• As restrictions loosen up, advocates for people with disabilities say their needs haven’t been considered — Morning News

February 6, 2022

• Experts weigh in on shifting public health messaging on ‘learn to live with COVID’ — Global News

February 4, 2022

• Cancer detection has fallen dramatically during the pandemic, worrying experts — CTV News

January 31, 2022

• Cutting through the COVID confusion — healthydebate
• Study: Those with disabilities had longer COVID hospital stays, high readmission rate — The Star

January 29, 2022

• How Canada can avoid past mistakes as COVID-19 restrictions lift — CBC

January 25, 2022

• Pfizer anti-COVID pill's dangerous interaction with common drugs will narrow its benefit, experts say — The National Post
• How many kids aged 5 to 11 have been vaccinated in your Toronto neighbourhood? You might be surprised — The Star
• COVID-19 strain: healthcare workers increasingly seek mental health help — Morning News

January 24, 2022

• SARS vs. Covid-19: what we didn't learn the last time — CTV News

January 21, 2022

• Mental health visits by doctors up 27 per cent in first year of COVID-19, study says — The Star
• High-risk Ontarians lagging on third doses of COVID vaccine — The Star
• This long-haul COVID-19 patient is unlike most. She's a respiratory scientist studying the condition — CBC

January 20, 2022

• What hospitalization data really say about COVID-19 vaccines — The National Post

January 19, 2022

• Uptake of third vaccine doses lags in many parts of the GTA that have been hot spots — The Star
• Researchers examine why Ontario ER visits spike when COVID-19 cases drop — CBC

January 18, 2022

• Time for Canada to revisit pre-entry COVID test for Canadian travellers, experts say — The National Post

January 16, 2022

• Doctors sound alarm as alcohol consumption continues COVID spike — The Sault Star
• Omicron may seem unavoidable, but experts say 'let it rip' isn't the solution — CTV News

January 15, 2022

• How does this pandemic end? Infectious disease expert weighs in — Toronto Sun

January 11, 2022

• Are you ‘for’ or ‘with’ COVID? Ontario changes its wording around COVID hospitalizations — The Star
• 'Democratization of COVID': Four in 10 Canadians know someone recently infected, poll finds — National Post
• Omicron's spread may boost collective immunity, but at what cost? — CBC
• Omicron may be less severe but ‘let it rip’ is not the answer — healthy debate

January 10, 2022

• Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms? Hold off on getting your booster shot, experts say — iHeartRadio

January 7, 2022

• ‘Looking in the rear-view mirror’: A scientist on the challenges with tracking Omicron — tvo

January 6, 2022

• Kingston top doc cautiously optimistic, but says hospitalizations remain high — CBC
• Should you swab your nose – and your throat – for a more accurate at-home COVID test? — The Star

December 15, 2021

• Be 'ready to pivot' domestic holiday travel plans amid rapidly spreading Omicron variant, medical experts say — CBC
• Ontario universities moving classes online in January amid surging COVID cases — The Star

December 13, 2021

• Secondary losses: The impact of the pandemic on Canadians with cancer — healthy debate

December 10, 2021

• It’s hard to look this in the eye. But COVID’s worst is coming — The Star
• Millions of Ontarians will need a third COVID vaccine this month. Can we ramp up capacity like in the summer? — The Star
• Vaccination among the pregnant lagging despite growing evidence of safety and efficacy — healthy debate

December 9, 2021

• Toronto’s top doctor went public with her personal health — and may have saved lives — The Star
• Canada 'grossly underutilizing' rapid tests, experts warn — even as COVID-19 cases tick up — CBC

December 7, 2021

• Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s public health chief, taking leave of absence for medical treatment — The Star

December 5, 2021

• The pandemic encouraged virtual family doctor visits. Are they here to stay? — The Star

December 3, 2021

• Will all Ontarians — not just those 50 and up — need a third COVID-19 shot? — The Star

December 1, 2021

• Why just Africa? Health experts question Canada singling out continent with COVID travel rules — Global News
• Kingston MOH warns that COVID-19 may present as a mild cold — Global News

November 28, 2021

• Area of Pickering has one of Ontario's highest COVID positivity rates -- again — The Star

November 27, 2021

• Canada needs to make a tough call on boosters as a new variant emerges — CBC
• MAP: Do you know your neighbour? Vaccination rates in York Region by postal codes — Simcoe.com

November 18, 2021

• Safeguards crucial in allowing pharmacies to take on testing of people with COVID-19 symptoms — The Star

November 14, 2021

• COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all adults is a 'slippery slope,' expert warns — Q107

November 10, 2021

• Boosters will help in our war of attrition against COVID. But Ontario should prepare for a long slog — The Star

November 5, 2021

• ‘There is a lot of fuel’ for COVID: Ontario vaccine data shows big lags in some areas, demographic groups — The Star

November 4, 2021

• Mistrust and ‘ill-equipped’ hospitals: Here's why nearly half of Toronto's Indigenous population remains unvaccinated — The Star
• Why doctors are so worried about pregnant people getting COVID-19 — Morning News

November 3, 2021

• Everything you need to know about side effects and the COVID-19 vaccines — National Post

October 30, 2021

• Ontario doctors to urge pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — CBC

October 28, 2021

• ‘Test-to-stay’ programs coming to Ontario schools to keep kids in class when COVID cases arise — The Peterborough Examiner

October 20, 2021

• Will this flu season be worse than usual? — Maclean's
• U.S. unveils COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children as Canada plans its own — CTV News

October 19, 2021

• Ottawa nearing herd immunity as it hits major vaccine milestones — CBC
• COVID-19 pandemic has delayed treatment, exacerbated existing health conditions: Heart & Stroke survey — The Globe and Mail
• Pandemic poses long-term risks to heart health: Canadian survey of experts — Edmonton Journal
• Pandemic's effect on cardiovascular care — CTV News

October 13, 2021

• COVID-19 booster shots not yet needed for most Canadians, health experts say — Granthshala News

October 12, 2021

• This area has Ontario's highest vaccination rate. One of the lowest is just 100 km away — CBC

October 7, 2021

• Concerns about missed skin cancer screening during pandemic — CBC

September 9, 2021

• Average cost for COVID-19 ICU patients estimated at more than $50,000: report — CBC

August 9, 2021

• Fewer than 20% of newborns contracted COVID-19 from their infected mothers during or just after birth, study finds — Daily Mail

June 7, 2021

• Mental health visits for new moms rose 30% during COVID-19 pandemic, study shows — Global News
• More new mothers are seeking mental health supports amid overwhelming strain during the pandemic - CBC

June 2, 2021

• B.1.617.2 called a ‘potentially explosive situation’ — The Hamilton Spectator

June 1, 2021

• This interactive map shows first dose vaccination rates in every Ontario region — CTV News

May 31, 2021

• Data interactive: The unseen pandemic among susceptible Ontarians — QP Briefing

May 28, 2021

• Studies reveal the unintended consequences of delaying surgeries, drop in ER visits due to pandemic — CBC

May 21, 2021

• How London's new mass COVID vaccine clinic is faster, more efficient — The London Free Press

May 16, 2021

• Medical experts in Ontario calling for creative strategies in next phase of COVID-19 vaccine rollout — Global News

May 12, 2021

• Ontario's strict lockdown measures associated with fewer early preterm births: study — CTV News

April 30, 2021

• Even in hot spots, newcomers to Canada are missing out on COVID-19 vaccines — The Star

April 28, 2021

• Ontario hospitals on the verge of enacting 'last resort' triage protocols — CTV News

April 27, 2021

• Asthma, cancer did not increase risk of testing COVID-19 positive, study shows — Global News

April 7, 2021

• Only two thirds of Canada’s available COVID-19 vaccines administered — The Globe and Mail

April 6, 2021

• The vaccine rollout is leaving Toronto’s hardest-hit postal codes behind — The Local
• 'It's a significant barrier:' Individuals without OHIP cards told they can't book vaccination appointments at city clinics - CP24
• The Toronto and Peel neighbourhoods that need the COVID vaccine the most aren’t getting it, new data reveals - The Star

March 27, 2021

• COVID-19’s collateral damage: What happens when Canadians with other illnesses miss out on medical care? — The Globe and Mail

March 14, 2021

• Crisis brewing as COVID-19 derails life-saving surgeries at Canadian hospitals — CTV News

March 8, 2021

• Pandemic stay-at-home order lifts in Toronto, Peel — CityNews

February 15, 2021

• Web portal, service desk in the works for Ontario COVID-19 vaccine appointments — CTV News

February 8, 2021

• Doctors’ virtual visits jumped by 5,600% during COVID. What does that mean for the future of Canadian health care? — The Star

February 7, 2021

• Why Ontario will ease province-wide COVID-19 lockdown regionally — CBC

February 1, 2021

• How a consortium of Canadian companies is bringing rapid COVID-19 testing to the workplace — The Star
• ‘They’re at risk’: How COVID-19 is affecting health-care workers of colour — tvo

January 12, 2021

• A health care system besieged by COVID? — tvo
• Ontario's homeless 5 times more likely to die of COVID-19, study finds — CBC

January 11, 2021

• New restrictions looming as Ontario’s COVID-19 crisis grows dire — Global News

January 8, 2021

• As airlines entice travellers, health expert says gov't must enforce stronger travel rules — CBC

August 14, 2020

• 'Collateral damage': Doctors worry patients diagnosed with more advanced cancers because of delays — CTV News

July 22, 2020

• Q&A: Dr. Kevin Smith on the fight against COVID-19 — Maclean's

June 28, 2020

• Toronto’s COVID-19 divide: The city’s northwest corner has been ‘failed by the system’ — The Star

June 11, 2020

• Toronto Trailblazers 2020: Janet Smylie is tracking COVID-19 in Indigenous communities — NOW

June 4, 2020

• Ontario’s COVID-19 lockdown is now harming health more than it’s helping, some experts say — The Star
• New Brunswick doctor's story calls attention to COVID-related racism — CBC

May 26, 2020

• Ontario’s testing numbers have plummeted. There are signs that might be changing — The Star

May 23, 2020

• Where have all the patients gone during COVID-19? Not to the ER. Star analysis reveals stark, nationwide trend — The Star

May 21, 2020

• Homeless, pregnant, COVID-positive — and bearing the brunt of a pandemic — CBC

May 12, 2020

• Toronto scientists dug into the connection between race, income, housing and COVID-19. What they found was ‘alarming’ — The Star
• Lower income people, new immigrants at higher COVID-19 risk in Toronto, data suggests — CBC

May 11, 2020

• Can I reuse disinfectant wipes? Your COVID-19 questions answered — CBC

May 10, 2020

• Could a vaccine wipe out COVID-19 or will protection be short-term? That's the 'million dollar question' — CBC

May 6, 2020

• Don’t let privacy concerns complicate necessary data sharing to combat public health threats — The Hill Times

May 5, 2020

• Vaccine makers, experts, forecast global challenges securing COVID-19 vaccine — iPolitics
• Deaths are spiking: these four charts sum up the latest COVID-19 numbers in Ontario and beyond — WaterlooChronicle.ca

May 4, 2020

• Sweden took a softer COVID-19 approach. Has it been effective? — Global News

April 27, 2020

• A look at what could happen without a coronavirus vaccine? — Global News
• Safety considerations with chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection — CMAJ

April 23, 2020

• Can we protect digital privacy amid push to use phone data to fight COVID-19 spread? — CBC
• Pitfalls of judgment during the COVID-19 pandemic — The Lancet Public Health

April 22, 2020

• Study: use of hydroxychloroquine in patients with COVID-19 increases mortality — Pharmacy Times
• Toronto Public Health to collect race-based COVID-19 data — NOW Magazine
• There’s no greater misfortune than Canadian nursing home residents dying alone — The Toronto Star

April 15, 2020

• Patients worry delaying routine care during COVID-19 could have lasting impact — Global News

April 13, 2020

• Ontario building massive health database to aid COVID-19 response — The Toronto Star

April 9, 2020

• Hydroxychloroquine use may lead to irregular heartbeats, low blood sugar: Study — Deccan Herald

April 8, 2020

• Ontario conducting fewer COVID-19 tests daily as cases keep climbing — CBC
• Trump's touting of unproven COVID-19 drug is unusual. We'll soon see if he's right — CBC

April 7, 2020

• COVID-19 au Québec : les projections deécortiquées — CBC Radio-Canada

April 6, 2020

• Authentic emergency department leadership during a pandemic — Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine

April 3, 2020

• Explainer: Why Canada’s COVID-19 data is not yet showing the full picture — iPolitics

April 2, 2020

• Here’s how COVID-19 evolved to infect more than 10,000 Canadians and kill more than 100 — The National Post
• How can we know instantly who has COVID-19? It’s a critical question that’s getting closer to an answer — toronto.com

ICES publications on 2003 SARS outbreak

• Woodward G, Stukel T, Schull M Gunraj N Laupacis, Utilization of Ontario’s Health System During the 2003 SARS Outbreak: An ICES Investigative Report. Toronto: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences; 2004.
• Lee J, Holden L, Fung K, Danjoux C, Chow E, Gillies C. Impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome on patient access to palliative radiation therapy. Support Cancer Ther. 2005; 2(2):109-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3816/SCT.2005.n.004
• Stukel MJ, Schull TA Vermeulen MJ, Alter DA. Study design to determine the effects of widespread restrictions on hospital utilization to control an outbreak of SARS in Toronto, Canada. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2006; 6(3):285-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1586/14737167.6.3.285
• Schull MJ, Stukel TA, Vermeulen MJ, Guttmann A, Zwarenstein M. Surge capacity associated with restrictions on nonurgent hospital utilization and expected admissions during an influenza pandemic: lessons from the Toronto severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak. Acad Emerg Med. 2006;13(11):1228-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1197/j.aem.2006.04.011
• Schull MJ. Hospital surge capacity: if you can't always get what you want, can you get what you need? Ann Emerg Med. 2006; 48(4):389-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.06.003
• Schull MJ, Stukel TA, Vermeulen MJ, Zwarenstein M, Alter DA, Manuel DG, Guttmann A, Laupacis A, Schwartz B. Effect of widespread restrictions on the use of hospital services during an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. CMAJ. 2007; 176 (13):1827-1832. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.061174
• Stukel TA, Schull MJ, Guttmann A, Alter DA, Li P, Vermeulen MJ, Manuel DG, Zwarenstein M. Health impact of hospital restrictions on seriously ill hospitalized patients: lessons from the Toronto SARS outbreak. Med Care. 2008; 46(9):991-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181792525
• Schull MJ, Stukel TA, Zwarenstein M, Guttmann A, Alter DA Manuel DG. ICES report: Five policy recommendations from Toronto's SARS outbreak to improve the safety and efficacy of restrictions on hospital admissions to manage infectious disease outbreaks. Healthc Q. 2009; 2(1):30-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12927/hcq.2009.20412