COVID-19 Cohort Study for People Working in Healthcare (CCS)
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Status: Data collection complete, analysis ongoing Study Results French site
What was the purpose of this study?
The COVID-19 Cohort Study (CCS) and the Canadian CCS (CCCS) were prospective cohort studies that collected data from June 2020 to December 2023 in collaboration with Canadians who work in healthcare. The primary objectives were to determine the rate of COVID-19 infection, changes in antibody levels over time, the impact of vaccines against COVID-19, and the psychological impact of working during a pandemic.
| Study design | Number of sites | Number of participants | Study period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospective Cohort Study | 19 | 3435 | June 2020 – December 2023 |
Who was eligible to participate?
People working in acute care, rehabilitation, or complex care hospital who:
- Were 18 to 75 years old
- Worked anywhere in a participating hospital for ≥20 hours per week; was a MD/NP with privileges who spent ≥8 hours per week in the hospital
People who worked in private medical practice in the Toronto area.
In the Toronto and Hamilton areas, household members of study participants were also eligible to participate.
What data was collected?
- Respiratory illness information, with COVID-19 test results
- Risk factors for testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (personal, household, workplace, and community)
- Blood samples to detect cases of asymptomatic or undiagnosed COVID-19 and changes in antibody levels (over time, after vaccinations and illnesses)
- Levels of distress while working during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccination
Who funded this study?
- Public Health Agency of Canada through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Weston Family Foundation
- Physician Services Inc.
Research sites and investigators
| Participating sites | Investigators | |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | ||
| Toronto & area | Oak Valley Health | Dr. Jeya Nadarajah |
| Michael Garron | Dr. Jeff Powis & Dr. Chris Kandel | |
| North York General | Dr. Kevin Katz | |
| Private MD, NP, or midwifery clinics/practices in the GTA | Dr. Brenda Coleman | |
| Sinai Health | Dr. Allison McGeer & Dr. Brenda Coleman | |
| Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre | Dr. Samira Mubareka | |
| Unity Health (St. Michael’s site) | Dr. Matthew Muller | |
| University Health Network | Dr. Allison McGeer | |
| William Osler Health System | Dr. Saranya Arnoldo | |
| Hamilton | Hamilton Health Sciences | Dr. Mark Loeb |
| St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton | Dr. Marek Smieja | |
| Ottawa | Ottawa | Dr. Curtis Cooper |
| Alberta | ||
| Calgary | Calgary Health Zone | Dr. Robyn Harrison |
| Edmonton | Grey Nuns Community Hospital (Edmonton) | Dr. Robyn Harrison |
| University of Alberta Hospital | Dr. Robyn Harrison | |
| Royal Alexandra Hospital | Dr. Robyn Harrison | |
| Nova Scotia | ||
| IWK Health | Dr. Joanne Langley | |
| Nova Scotia Health | Dr. Shelly McNeil | |
| Quebec | ||
| Sherbrooke | Dr. Louis Valiquette | |
with the invaluable assistance of our staff: Sarah, Julia, Ajibola, Ayo, Susan, Angel, Max, Iris, Kanchan, Nicole, Veronica, Chloe, Simon, & TJ.
THANK YOU MERCI BEAUCOUP
The study investigators and everyone who worked on the CCS would like to sincerely thank all participants for the time and effort they put into helping us collect data about their experiences during the last 3½ years of the SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot adequately express our gratitude.
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Contact us
If you have questions, please contact Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network.
