COVID-19 and Public Health Forum Program

11:00 - 12:00     Plenary I

From crisis to recovery

While we continue to face a myriad of challenges related to successive waves of infection and the halting rollout of vaccination programs across the country, it is important to start thinking about post-pandemic recovery and life after COVID-19. In November 2020, the UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery was published, the result of a collaboration involving 38 research funding organizations and 270 experts around the world. The Roadmap provides a framework for leveraging the power of science in support of a better socio-economic recovery and a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future. It identifies research priorities and scientific strategies to support a recovery that benefits everyone everywhere, as well as actions that researchers, research funding agencies, governments, civil society organizations and UN entities can take to act upon it.

Speaker

• Steven Hoffman, Scientific Director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

Moderator

• Ted Hewitt, President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

12:00 - 12:15     Stretch Break

12:15 - 13:15     Concurrent Sessions

ORAL PRESENTIONS 1

• Comparative case study of the COVID-19 response for urban underserved patients experiencing care transitions - Nathaniel Le Chalifoux
• Pandemic adaptation experiences across 20 federally-funded projects advancing child and youth mental health promotion - Renata Valaitis
• Exploring changes in family activities, routines and experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Maritime Study - Jessie-LeeMcIsaac
• Canadian university students’ attitudes and concerns about returning to school during a pandemic: Results from a representative national sample of students in the iCARE Study - Urska Kosir
• COVID-19 across the lifespan: Implications for recovery - Eva Purkey
• Mental health and COVID-19 in Saskatchewan - Nazeem Muhajarine

MAINTAINING TRUST IN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS COMMUNICATION DURING COVID-19: LESSONS LEARNED FROM A REVIEW

The presentation will start by exploring a scoping and systematic review surrounding public trust, crisis communication, social media, and pandemics. It will include public health-specific information pertaining to characteristics of successful spokespersons, effective use of various communication channels, and factors influencing effective crisis communication by public health. 

Next, the presentation will explore the results of a social media analysis of COVID-19-related Facebook posts made by Healthy Canadians, CTV News, and CBC News. Results from the analysis will be explored, including the use of guiding principles for crisis communication in Facebook posts, and a sentiment analysis, which is the extraction of positive and negative emotion from social media text (Jayasanka et al., 2013) of public comments to explore public reaction. Further, the presentation will describe the process and application of sentiment analysis for public health to monitor the emotional response of followers within its networks.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the critical success factors associated with maintaining trust in crisis communication during a public health emergency such as COVID-19.
• Apply guiding principles for crisis communication using social media to maintain public trust during COVID-19 and other public health emergencies. 
• Describe sentiment analysis and how it can be used to monitor the emotional response to public health’s social media communication. 

Speakers

• Melissa MacKay, PhD Student, University of Guelph
• Taylor Colangeli, MPH Student, University of Guelph
• Ariana Del Bianco, MPH Student, University of Guelph

Moderator

• Andrew Papadopoulos, Professor and Coordinator, MPH Program, University of Guelph

MEASURING WHAT COUNTS IN THE MIDST OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A NEW TOOL AND INDICATORS FOR EQUITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH

COVID-19 is highlighting and amplifying long-standing inequities in Canadian society and health systems. As the country manages ongoing transmission and infection, we find ourselves in a cycle of planning, response and recovery. In this symposium, we present health equity indicator prompts to complement a public health organization framework for emergency preparedness. Participants will learn of a novel set of indicators and an interactive tool for measuring progress towards integrating health equity considerations in public health planning, response and recovery. The framework, indicators and prompts are useful tools to assess organizational capacity and move to integrate health equity considerations systematically and systemically in all decision making for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. A panel presentation will open the symposium and include a demonstration of an interactive tool for public health organizations. Engagement of participants will include polling, a question-and-answer session, and a moderated discussion with and amongst panelists.

Learning Objectives

• Apply a public health emergency preparedness framework, including indicators and equity prompts.
• Evaluate the use of these, as well as implementation tools, in public health organizations.
• Examine how using the framework, indicators and equity prompts can support explicitly involving disadvantaged populations in planning and response to emergencies such as pandemics.  

Speakers

• Claire Betker, Scientific Director, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health
• Margaret Haworth-Brockman, Senior Program Manager, National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases
• Yoav Keynan, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Scientific Director, National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases
• Chris Green, Senior Epidemiologist, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg (to be confirmed)

Moderator

• Claire Betker, Scientific Director, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health

13:15 - 14:00     Break and Poster Presentations

During these highly interactive digital poster sessions, participants connect with speakers to view presentations, ask questions and exchange ideas. 

There are six unique presentation blocks between 13:20- 15:55 and for each, speakers give a brief presentation (3 minute maximum) followed by a 2-minute discussion period with participants. Presentations will end after 5 minutes and participants can attend a new poster presentation. 

Multiple participants can join a poster presentation at the same time. Unless turned off by participants, microphones are enabled. The poster presentations will not be recorded.

Speakers listed are only available for presentation on Wednesday 21 April.

Presentation Blocks

DIGITAL POSTER PRESENTATIONS

• "I walk around like my hands are covered in mud": food safety and hand hygiene behaviours of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic - Robyn Haas
• Association between neighbourhood level factors and COVID-19 rate in Ottawa, Ontario - Bishwajit Ghose
• Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Impact in Homeless, At-Risk for Homelessness, and Visible Minority Populations: A Mixed-Method Study - Preshit Ambade
• Changes in mental health-facility use during the pandemic: evidence from PATH CANN COVID study - Mahmood Gohari
• Changes in Substance Use Among Young People During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada - Colleen Davison
• Cognitive Predictors of Psychological Distress in Chinese Canadian Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Kesaan Kandasamy
• COVID-19 evidence support for Saskatchewan pandemic response - Andreea Badea
• COVID-19-Related Restrictions Among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disability in Ontario - Rebecca Hansford
• Development and Formative Evaluation of the Canadian Armed Forces Surveillance and Outbreak Management System (CAF SOMS) - Christine Dubiniecki
• Epidemiological description and investigation of the COVID-19 outbreak at "Facility A" Retirement and Long-term Care Home in Ontario, Canada - Kate Bishop-Williams
• Épidémiologie des éclosions en milieux de vie pour personnes aînées en Montérégie au Québec lors de la première vague de COVID-19 - Charles-Antoine Guay
• Essential Coaching for Every Mother during COVID-19: Preliminary Outcomes of a Pilot Pre-Post Intervention Study - Justine Dol
• Evaluations that Address the Needs of People Experiencing Marginalization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Process for Identifying and Selecting Programs - Michelle Firestone
• Health information access pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of Canadians with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) - Francesca S. Cardwell
• Impact of public health directives on family members with a loved one in LTC - Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard
• Impacts of workplace conditions during COVID-19 on nurses’ mental health - Farinaz Havaei
• Investigating the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Modifiable Risk Factors among Albertans - Geneviève Jessiman-Perreault
• Is working outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic associated with parental concern regarding their child's academic success? - Iyoma Edache
• Occupational health and safety considerations for workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic - Victoria Arrandale
• Neighbourhood characteristics associated with the geographic variation in laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in Ontario, Canada: A multilevel analysis - Tristan Watson
• Perinatal nurses’ experiences with childbirth care during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia - Rishma Chooniedass
• Portrait of Montreal healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic - Geneviève Fortin
• Predicting Mental Health Outcomes Over Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Applying Machine Learning Methods - Katrina Hueniken
• Psychological health of Quebec nurses in the context of COVID-19 pandemic - Nabiha Benyamina Douma
• Service redesign to mitigate the social and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for off reserve Indigenous peoples - Imaan Bayoumi
• Sommeil, santé mentale et pandémie de COVID-19 : quelles sont les inégalités? - Andréanne Fortin
• Spatial and social patterning of COVID-19 prevention within the Chinese community of Canada: Investigating the impacts of risk perception and preventive behaviour on spatial mobility - Natalie Houser
• The impact of COVID-19 on Essential Service workers in Canada: Results from two nationally representative samples in the iCARE Study - Vincent Gosselin Boucher
• The Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health-related quality of life of adults visiting emergency departments and primary care clinics in Alberta - Fatima Al Sayah
• The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s COVID-19 Policy Response Initiative - Mauriene Tolentino
• The Psychosocial and Cognitive Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Older Adults - Kathryn Bolton
• Young adults and social gatherings: an exploration of behaviours, arguments for behaviour changes, concerns and sources of information - Ariane Bélanger-Gravel

14:00 - 15:00     Concurrent Sessions

ORAL PRESENTIONS 2

• To tweet, or not to tweet: COVID-19 communications by public health leaders and organizations across Canada - Lesley James
• A scoping review of key use cases for leveraging artificial intelligence to effectively manage pandemics - Ania Syrowatka
• Epidemic simulation to inform implementation of app-based contact tracing for COVID-19 - Nanor Minoyan
• Syndromic surveillance data collected in the Canada COVID-19 App - Petra Villette
• Racing against COVID-19: Rapid evidence services to support public health’s COVID-19 response - Maureen Dobbins
• Transition to telehealth in the primary healthcare teaching clinics in Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey - Nadia Deville-Stoetzel

COVID-19 DATA COLLECTION CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS WITH ENGAGING PRIORITY POPULATIONS

We will explore the challenges and considerations necessary to respectfully and effectively engage two priority populations (Indigenous Peoples and immigrant populations) in COVID-19 research. Our insights and knowledge on this topic are drawn from two CIHR population health projects funded under the rapid research response opportunity: 1) developing community readiness strategies to promote safe and healthy travel for immigrant populations who routinely return to their countries of origin to visit with friends and relatives (involving Chinese and South Asian populations), and 2) examining public health COVID-19 outbreak management strategies (involving Métis peoples).

Learning Objectives

• Describe some of the research challenges and considerations in engaging different types of priority populations in pandemic research.
• Evaluate their (or their organizations’) specific policies and practices (or lack thereof) in accommodating different populations in COVID-19 planning, engaging these populations in efforts to control disease transmission, and improving vaccine acceptance (including developing appropriate communication platforms and messages).
• Identify opportunities for changes in practice and policies that acknowledge and accommodate the needs of specific priority populations in COVID-19 control efforts.

Speakers

• S. Michelle Driedger, Professor, University of Manitoba
• Marinel Kniseley, Research Manager, University of the Fraser Valley
• Kusum Soni, Community Liaison, University of the Fraser Valley
• Sherry Wang, Community Liaison, University of the Fraser Valley

Moderator

• Cindy Jardine, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Health and Community), University of the Fraser Valley

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS LINKED WITH ADVERSE MOVEMENT BEHAVIOURS IN CANADIAN CHILDREN AND YOUTH

This symposium will present findings from over 1,500 Canadian parents who responded to the survey that assessed COVID-19-related changes in movement and play behaviours during the most severe COVID-19 restrictions. The national study partnered researchers from Outdoor Play Canada, ParticipACTION, and several universities from across Canada. Summaries of three scholarly papers from this research study will be presented in this symposium. 

The first will describe the study methods and summarize the main findings – how physical activity, sedentary behaviours, screen time, sleep, play and outdoor time were related to the pandemic restrictions. The second will explore the factors associated with adherence and non-adherence to the healthy lifestyle guidelines during COVID-19 restrictions to provide further insight to help guide movement behaviour recovery from the pandemic. The third will describe regional differences in policies related to access to the outdoors and outdoor play of children during the COVID-19 outbreak, and will discuss differences observed.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the changes in movement and play behaviours of children and youth during height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Explain how parental perceived capability to support children’s and youths’ movement behaviours were related to adherence and non-adherence to the 24-hour Movement Guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Explain the importance of preserving and promoting access to outdoor play (e.g., by keeping public green spaces open) as a major public health priority for COVID-19 recovery efforts. 

Speakers

• Sarah Moore, Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University
• Michelle Guerrero, Postdoctoral Fellow, CHEO Research Institute
• Louise de Lannoy, Research Manager, Outdoor Play Canada

Moderator

• Mark Tremblay, Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute

15:00 - 15:15     Stretch Break

15:15 - 16:30     Plenary II

COVID-19 IMPACT ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN CANADA

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to address the healthcare inequities of low-income, marginalized, and racialized populations more than ever. While COVID-19 has affected everyone, its effects are not experienced evenly across populations. This session will highlight the challenges faced by vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic by engaging stakeholders who have collaborated with prison, homeless, at-risk for homelessness, Indigenous, and low-income racialized populations. The panelists will share their assessments of health care needs – and the challenges of implementing programs and delivering services – during the pandemic. They will also share their experience of using a community-based participatory action research approach to make the public health research process more inclusive and equitable.

Learning Objectives

• Identify healthcare issues faced by prison, homeless, and Indigenous populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Recognize health service delivery challenges faced by providers while serving marginalized communities, especially during the pandemic. 
• Develop a preliminary understanding of community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) principles and their application in community-based research projects.

Speakers

• Sadia Jama, PhD candidate, University of Ottawa & Queen Jacques, Research Assistant, The Bridge Engagement Centre, The Ottawa Hospital
• Rob Boyd, Program Director, Oasis, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, Ottawa
• Vanessa Fareau, Community Peer Researcher, The Bridge Engagement Centre
• Darlene Kitty, Director, Indigenous Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa

Moderators

• Smita Pakhale, Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa
• Preshit Ambade, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa

11:00 - 12:00     Plenary III

MOVING FROM HESITANCY TO CONFIDENCE

The communications challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic require constant learning and adaptation. At the start of the pandemic, the public was much more willing to go along with public health directives. As the pandemic has evolved, the public response has evolved to include a portfolio that features dissent, deliberation, distrust, and indifference. As such, we need a portfolio of strategies to respond. It is increasingly necessary to strengthen the risk communication component as an essential tool for providing the population with all necessary information about the immunization process. This ranges from clinical trials and the production of new vaccines to the introduction, distribution, and prioritization of populations. Risk communication permits a two-way dialogue between authorities and their target audiences with the goal of changing behaviour. Proper management of this process contributes to improved emergency response and strengthens the authorities’ leadership and the population’s confidence in authorities and the measures they establish. Targeted and culturally safe risk communications that respond to the needs of specific communities are essential.

Speakers

• Noni MacDonald, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University
• Eve Dubé, Researcher and Medical Anthropologist, Institut national de santé publique du Québec 

12:00 - 12:15     Stretch Break

12:15 - 13:15     Concurrent Sessions

ORAL PRESENTATIONS 3

• COVID-19 and Métis women’s experiences in Victoria, British Columbia - Carly Jones
• Examining the factors that shaped the adoption of virtual delivery of domestic violence and sexual assault services during COVID-19 in Alberta, Canada - Stephanie Montesanti
• Exploring the linkages between substance use, COVID-19, and intimate partner violence - Andreea C. Brabete
• A rapid review of response strategies for promoting gender equity in public health emergencies - Alexa Yakubovich
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy: The CONCEPTION study – Phase I - Anick Bérard
• Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the postpartum experience of women living in Eastern Canada: A mixed-methods cohort study - Justine Dol

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CHILDREN’S LIFESTYLES AND MENTAL HEALTH: ‘BEST PRACTICES’ FOR HEALTH PROMOTION IN SCHOOLS

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the implementation of drastic measures, including closure of school buildings and ‘stay home’ orders. While these public health measures are critical to combat viral transmission, the impact on children’s health is likely substantial, particularly for children residing in vulnerable and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. For many of them, the restrictions may have increased screen time, reduced physical activity, changed eating patterns, disrupted sleep and daily routines, and jeopardized mental health. 

In this session, early findings from a CIHR-funded COVID-19 Rapid Research study will be presented to describe the impact of the pandemic on children’s lifestyles and mental health, children’s and parents’ perceptions of support children received from schools, and strategies that families used to maintain healthy lifestyles and good mental health during the pandemic. An overview of ‘best practices’ in school programming for promoting children’s lifestyles and mental health during the pandemic will also be presented.

Learning Objectives

• Summarize the challenges and opportunities of collecting data in schools during the pandemic.
• Explain the impact of the pandemic on children’s lifestyles and mental health.
• Apply ‘best practices’ for supporting students during the pandemic, and implement these in schools.

Speakers

• Katherine Dekker, School Health Mentors, APPLE Schools
• Tina Skakun, School Health Mentors, APPLE Schools
• Julia Dabravolskaj, PhD candidate, School of Public Health, University of Alberta  
• Mohammed KA Khan, PhD candidate, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto 
• Laena Maunula, Research Associate, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
• Jenn Flynn, Executive Director, APPLE Schools

Moderators

• Paul J. Veugelers, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
• Katerina Maximova, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND COVID-19: ETHNO-RACIAL IDENTITY AND INCOME DATA COLLECTION, COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS, AND DATA TO ACTION

To better understand the relationship between select social determinants of health and reported COVID-19 infection, Toronto Public Health (TPH) began collecting information on ethno-racial identity and household income through its investigation process for COVID-19 cases. TPH also undertook a community consultation process to hear from agencies serving the most affected communities. The consultations explored how existing inequities increased risk for COVID-19 infection and how these inequities were further exacerbated by the pandemic. The combination of this quantitative and qualitative data collection has led to a more fulsome understanding of drivers of increased COVID-19 infection in some communities, and can inform recommendations for both short-term and long-term actions to reduce these inequities.  

Learning Objectives

• Explore the association between ethno-racial identity, income and COVID-19 in Toronto, and consider some of the potential drivers behind these associations.
• Appraise some of the considerations needed when collecting these data and consulting with community agencies.
• Reflect on how qualitative data can be used to strengthen and explain quantitative findings, and explore how they can be combined to inform policy recommendations and decision-making.

Speakers

• Liz Corson, Supervisor, Health Status and Epidemiology, Toronto Public Health
• Kelsie Near, Epidemiologist, Toronto Public Health
• Lisa King, Community Health Officer, Toronto Public Health

Moderator

• Domenico Calla, Manager, Health Access and Equity, Toronto Public Health

13:15 - 14:00     Break and Poster Presentations

During these highly interactive digital poster sessions, participants connect with speakers to view presentations, ask questions and exchange ideas. 

There are six unique presentation blocks between 13:20- 15:55 and for each, speakers give a brief presentation (3 minute maximum) followed by a 2-minute discussion period with participants. Presentations will end after 5 minutes and participants can attend a new poster presentation. 

Multiple participants can join a poster presentation at the same time. Unless turned off by participants, microphones are enabled. The poster presentations will not be recorded.

Speakers listed are only available for presentation on Thursday 22 April.

Presentation Blocks

DIGITAL POSTER PRESENTATIONS

• Analyses of emergency department data to understand changes in self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic - Li Liu
• Assessment of Virtual Mental Health Care Service Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploration of Provider and Client Experience - Zil Nasir
• Cochrane ‘living’ systematic review on diagnostic accuracy of chest imaging for COVID-19: update 2 - Nayaar Islam
• Correlates of Public Support for Safer Supply in Alberta, Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Heather Morris
• COVID-19 outbreak containment strategies in a personal service setting - Anthony Li
• COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Patient Attitudes about the Influenza Season and Vaccination - Kim Perrault
• COVID-19 Pandemic: Did harsh mobility restrictions save lives and cost in Maharashtra, India? - Preshit Ambade
• COVID-19’s impact on willingness to be vaccinated against influenza during the 2020/2021 season: Results from a survey of Canadian adults 50 years and older - Nancy Waite
• Cultural Contexts During a Pandemic: How Cultural Factors Shape Personal Protective Behaviours in the Chinese-Canadian Community - Rahim Kanji
• Demographic Predictors of COVID-19 Risk Perception Among Canadian Chinese Immigrants - Mariah Lecompte
• Emerging Evidence of COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Health Behaviours Linked to Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention: A Rapid Review and Health Equity Impact Assessment - Skye Starnino
• Estimating the inequitable burden of COVID-19 exposure at work across race/ethnicity: The Occupational Exposure to COVID-19 Risk Tool - Brendan Smith
• Exploring COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) in Black communities: A Scoping Review - Fiqir Worku
• Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Community-Based Formative Study - Tali Filler
• Factors Associated with Maintaining Trust in Crisis Communication: A Qualitative Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis - Melissa Mackay
• Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families with Young Children in British Columbia - Gioia Stokovac
• Is there a difference in vaccine hesitancy Provincially and Nationally? Comparison of Saskatchewan Social Contours and COVID-19 study with Leger COVID-19 Social Impact Network Survey - Aisha Sajid
• Mapping COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Canada to support effective communication: Findings from the iCARE study - Jovana Stojanovic
• Mental health and wellbeing of Canadian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Does it vary according to employment type and age? - Yosr Tammar
• Pandemic-related PTSD, but not fear, is moderately associated with increased tobacco use among adults - Maegan Trottier
• Policy changes impacting agricultural temporary migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A complementary use of policy change frameworks - Rachel Seungyun Lee
• Provider and stakeholder perspectives on intimate partner violence service-needs and challenges amidst the COVID -19 pandemic - Oriana Rodriguez
• Recruitment of Senior Chinese Immigrants for COVID-19 Research: Feasibility of Online Surveys for Data Collection - Yiran Wang
• Spatial and social patterning of COVID-19 prevention within the Chinese community of Canada: Investigating the impacts of risk perception and preventive behaviour on spatial mobility - Jie Yu
• The Inequitable Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Marginalized Ontarian Youth and the Necessity of Youth Consultancy and Engagement - Saadia Sarker
• The Native Wellness Assessment: The impact of culture on wellness during COVID-19 - Amanda Perri
• The Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese Immigrants in Canada - Linke Yu
• Understanding COVID-19 containment in Northwest Saskatchewan: A framework for a healthcare system, community, and academic collaboration - Kinsuk Kalyan Sarker
• What is known from existing literature about the effects of misinformation on social media platforms regarding COVID-19 prevention, treatment, and transmission? - Prabhnoor Chhatwal
• What makes a community resilient during a pandemic? - Salma Sahil
• Who is refusing COVID-19 vaccines or sitting on the fence? Results from the Social Contours and COVID-19 panel study, Saskatchewan, May 2020 to January 2021 - Nazeem Muhajarine
• Working in Canada during the novel COVID-19 pandemic: How perceived changes in job security throughout time relates to workers' complete mental health - Tyler Pacheco

14:00 - 15:00     Concurrent Sessions

ORAL PRESENTATIONS 4

• Understanding the impact of pandemic-related public health restrictions in Tłı̨chǫ Territory - Katherine Fleury
• Back to better: Amplifying health equity and determinants of health perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic - Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh
• Black and African Nova Scotian adults' attitudes and perceptions of the public health response to COVID-19 - OmiSoore Dryden
• Developing community resilience in the face of COVID-19: Learnings from a participatory project in the Eastern Townships, Quebec - Martine Shareck
• Changes in community context attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for community-led actions for chronic disease prevention - Laura Gougeon

COMMUNITY SUPPORTS FOR AUTISTIC PERSONS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR CAREGIVERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The situation of people with disabilities is insufficiently addressed by public health. We will present the social inequalities in health in these vulnerable populations. These are likely to increase significantly during and after this pandemic due not only to direct and secondary effects of the pandemic, but also because their needs have not sufficiently been taken into account. We will discuss the particular situation of autism as an invisible disability affecting autistic people and their families. 

We will present the results of a survey on the level of support and accessibility to adapted services and the impact of these on the stress level of these individuals and their families during this pandemic. Finally, we will discuss the opportunity to propose collective responses and to adapt public health strategies. In the long term, we will identify actions to 1) reduce the stigmatization of these individuals, 2) increase social support to them, and 3) to increase their health literacy – and the community’s – to foster their social inclusion.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how the social health inequalities faced by autistic people and their families are an important public health issue.
• Summarize that the absence of effective supports during this pandemic adds to the risk that inequalities will increase.
• Identify potential strategies and solutions in order to better respond to the unmet needs of these populations.

Speakers

• Olaf Kraus de Camargo, Associate Professor, McMaster University - Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre
• E. Lila Amirali, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Université de Montréal; Head, Department of Psychiatry, CHU Sainte-Justine; Chair, Specialty Committee on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• Alena Valderrama, Public Health Physician and Researcher, CHU Sainte-Justine; Associate Professor, ESPUM

Moderator

• Marie Grandisson, Professor, Department of Rehabilitation, Laval University; Researcher, Institut universitaire en déficience intellectuelle et trouble du spectre de l’autisme and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale

LEARNING FROM THE SOCIETAL EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 RESPONSE TO ‘BUILD BACK BETTER’

This session builds on the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada’s Report, From risk to resilience: an equity approach to COVID-19, and further explores the conceptual framework on the direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19. We examine the impact of public health and other measures on health and well-being outcomes through the lens of structural and intermediary determinants. We present data from British Columbia on how COVID-19 response measures have affected social determinants of health, such as income, employment, education, social connection, and culture. We also use an intersectional approach to describe how age, gender, ethno-cultural background, socio-economic status, and geography influence the experience of COVID-19 response measures. Finally, we discuss priority areas to address and key sectors for collaboration to build a healthier and more equitable society.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the impact of COVID-19 response measures on social determinants of health.
• Apply an intersectional lens to understand how age, gender, ethno-cultural background, socio-economic status, and geography influence the experience of COVID-19 response measures. 
• Identify priority areas for investment and key sectors for collaboration for the COVID-19 recovery.

Speakers

• Jason Wong, Physician Epidemiologist, BC Centre for Disease Control 
• River Chandler, Director of COVID-19 Response, BC Ministry of Health 
• Naomi Dove, Physician Consultant, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer
• Réka Gustafson, Vice President of Public Health and Wellness, Provincial Health Services Authority

Moderator

• Brian Emerson, Acting Deputy Provincial Health Officer, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer

15:00 - 15:15     Stretch Break

15:15 - 16:30     Plenary IV

FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH: INDIGENOUS RESPONSES TO COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, we have witnessed many Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Urban Indigenous) communities in Canada assert their authority in dealing with the COVID-19 virus, including creating their own public health orders, restricting travel through their territory, adapting their ceremonies, and intensifying public health campaigns. These actions must be recognized as an expression of First Nations, Inuit and Métis nationhood and a continued assertion of their sovereignty. These community-led actions have, in part, led to a less severe impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities when compared to the general public. The success of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous communities in fighting COVID-19 needs to be clearly articulated as a result – alongside other factors – of Indigenous voices and outcry demanding the provision of federal funds for equitable care during the pandemic. The assertion of Indigenous sovereignty is essential for efficient healthcare development for Indigenous communities in Canada. It will also be essential in planning and preparing for a successful recovery from COVID-19 for First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous communities.

(Reference: Can J Public Health. 2020 Dec; 111(6): 1000–1001. doi: 10.17269/s41997-020-00444-w)

Speakers

• Marcia Anderson, Assistant Professor, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Moderator

• Sean A. Hillier, Assistant Professor, School of Health Policy & Management, Faculty of Health, York University