March 18, 2021

Andrew Costa, Schlegel Research Chair in Clinical Epidemiology, is leading a study in Ontario long-term care (LTC) homes to learn about how well COVID-19 vaccines work in residents and what factors contribute to outbreaks in LTC homes.  The RIA is excited to be a partner in this new research.

Supported by the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, this study will be led by McMaster University and will involve more than 2,000 residents, team members and visitors of LTC homes in Ontario over the course of a year. Several Schlegel Villages will take part the project.

The study will help us:

• Understand how well COVID-19 vaccination works in residents in long-term care;
• Discover whether a resident’s immune system or previous exposure to the virus can protect them or make them vulnerable to future infection;
• Determine the factors that are directly associated with COVID-19 outbreaks, and whether those homes with outbreaks are likely to have them again in the future.

The research team hopes the data they collect will help inform policy and future COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

To learn more about this study, click here.