In the News
What the 1918 Flu Teaches Us About Surges
U of T and Swiss scientists reach into history to find a possible roadmap for preventing new COVID-19 surges Researchers from U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) and Swiss counterparts have shown that a hesitant and decentralized response to the Spanish Flu led to longer and...
COVID-19 Positivity Increases with Age, BMI and Waist Circumference
by Françoise Makanda, Communications Officer at DLSPH If you’re over the age of 65 and have a high waist circumference, you are more likely to test positive for COVID-19 regardless of your BMI, U of T researchers have observed. It’s the first study to include waist circumference and BMI together...
DLSPH Faculty Lead Toronto Task Force on Vaccine Inequity
A DLSPH professor, Akwatu Khenti, will chair a task force of Black scientists to address vaccine hesitancy and other challenges around vaccine equity in Toronto. City officials announced the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity, which includes several DLSPH professors, in a virtual news conference Feb. 3, along with...
DLSPH Researchers Study COVID Transmission Among Paramedics
Paramedics are at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but details of what puts them most at risk of exposure have not yet been studied until now. Two researchers at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health are working on the cross-country study, run by the...
One Kit at a Time
By Françoise Makanda, Communications Officer at DLSPH Harm reduction is misunderstood, and the stigma attached to drug use masks the program’s importance, says DLSPH student Tionné Polin, who is gaining valuable experience working with a needle exchange. “Volunteering has taught me a lot about the needs of my community,” says...
Black History Month
Today launches a 2021 Black History Month that is sure to go down in the history books. So much has happened within the past year that deserve extensive reflection, analysis and collective action; namely, the racialized hospitalization and mortality impact of COVID 19 in tandem with some of the worst expressions...
“This Could Become the Facebook of Environmental Information”
U of T researchers are developing an app allowing anyone to learn about air quality, greenery, walkability, and other factors contributing to the environmental health of their neighborhoods. Tentatively named “Good Score,” the app will lay bare environmental inequities among communities across Canada, and, for the first time, enable public...
U of T Researcher Receives WHO Grant to Explore Ethics of Travel Bans
by Françoise Makanda, Communications Officer at DLSPH Researchers recently received a WHO grant to examine the legality of travel bans. “The legal side of things was traditionally of the opinion that travel bans are ineffective and unlawful. COVID has really put this idea to the test, and we wondered what...
DLSPH Researchers to Test COVID Masks in New Ways
DLSPH Prof. James Scott is breaking new ground in determining the effectiveness of anti-COVID face masks, thanks to $1.2 million from the Ontario government for equipment that measures filtration much more accurately. Scott, head of DLSPH's Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, will perform the next-generation testing in the same...
The “She-cession” is Near Warns Alumna
by Françoise Makanda, Communications Officer at DLSPH DLSPH alumna Anjum Sultana warns that a “She-cession” is coming and argues that Canada needs to apply a feminist recovery plan to curb it. “There needs to be a new playbook to support women’s labour market participation, one that is grounded in racial...