The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is encouraging residents to take part in a nationwide study to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 in the community.
The University of Montreal along with the University of Windsor and other universities across the country have launched the COHESION study. The project is a long-term study by epidemiologists, public health researchers and mental health experts that aims to determine how the pandemic affected the daily lives and mental health of Canadians.
"The goal is to work with our public health partners and providing the information needed, to tailor interventions or develop interventions that can help support people," said Project lead Dr. Kate Zinszer with the University of Montreal.
Anyone who is 15 years or older is invited to join the study by filling out online surveys on a regular basis. The surveys will be done twice a month during the beginning phases of the project, but may wind down throughout the project time. It's expected the project will last up to two years, or at least six months after the crisis period is over.
"We're hoping that we get enough detailed information from the participants to really understand how the different measures have impacted them," said Zinszer.
Researchers are hoping to receive data from at least 1,000 people per province to determine how different parts of the country were affected throughout the pandemic.
