COVID-19 Education Study (CCS-2)
Sinai Health is seeking research participants for a large, remote, epidemiological study on the impacts of COVID-19 on frontline elementary and secondary education workers in Ontario.
What is the purpose of the study?
To determine how many people working in the elementary and secondary schools in Ontario develop COVID-19 infection and the risk factors for infection, to describe the changes to antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 over time, the incidence of re-infection, the uptake of vaccines against COVID-19, and the psychological impact of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who can join?
People working for or with a school or school board in Ontario who:
- are 18 to 74 years old, inclusive
- work anywhere in the Ontario education system for 8 or more hours per week on average
- plan to be available for at least the next 3 months (not retiring or going on leave)
- Do not have a bleeding disorder, have not had chemotherapy in the past 4 weeks, and have not had a bilateral mastectomy
You can join the study whether you work online or on-site, whether you have or have not received a COVID-19 vaccine, and whether you have or have not previously tested positive for COVID-19. Inclusive or English or French, Catholic or non-denominational, publicly-funded or independent schools and school boards.
What is being studied?
- Number and rate of COVID-19 infection
- Risk factors for infection
- Detecting cases of asymptomatic or undiagnosed COVID, response to vaccines, and how much antibody levels drop over time
- Impact of vaccines against COVID-19
- Changes in levels of distress over time of working during a pandemic
What is asked of you?
- Questionnaires when you join and every second week throughout the study
- Report when you are tested for COVID-19
- Report when you are vaccinated against COVID-19
- Self-collect blood spot samples 3 or more times to test your antibodies
Blood samples are a very important part of the study as it allows researchers to assess whether you have antibodies indicating that you have been infected in the past, you have responded to a vaccine, or if you have been both infected and responded to a vaccine (NOTE: you will receive the results of these tests)
Additional information
Your data will be kept confidential. Participation is voluntary. Participants will be provided with a small token of appreciation for taking part. You do not need to use the internet to join our study, you can call the office to answer the questionnaires at (437) 833-1745. The study is federally funded by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force through the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The study is being conducted by researchers from Mount Sinai and the University of Toronto.
If you have questions, call (437) 833-1745 or, if long distance charges apply, 1-888-307-3357 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m. weekdays) for more information - or email [email protected]
Study investigators
Drs. Brenda Coleman, Allison McGeer, & Robert Maunder (Mount Sinai Hospital & University of Toronto) |
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