PHO Rounds: International Border Surveillance Study

Arriving international passengers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport were enrolled in a prospective study of COVID-19 risk upon arrival and during quarantine in September and October 2020. The study assessed the feasibility of enrolling arriving passengers, the acceptability and quality of self-collected specimens for detection of COVID-19 infection and the scale-up of robotic testing for time-efficient and cost-effective COVID-19 testing. Participants self-collected specimens at the airport on arrival, and weekly at home during 14 days of quarantine. Additionally, they completed questionnaires on their attitudes and experiences with the tests and quarantine. Over 16,000 participants were enrolled in the study. The results inform strategies for combining a testing strategy with reduced quarantine time.

Intended audience: Public health practitioners

The objectives of the webinar are to:

1. Identify the methods used for the International Border Surveillance Study
2. Review the key results from the study
3. Discuss the findings in the context of the broader literature and the potential implications of the findings for considering future approaches to COVID-19 border control
4. Summarize the strengths and limitations of the study, and potential implications for public health practice

About the presenters: Vivek Goel and Peter Jüni

Vivek Goel is Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto and served as Founding President and CEO of Public Health Ontario. Vivek Goel is a member of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on the development of a Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy, and Scientific Advisor for CanCOVID, the national research platform for COVID-19 research.

Peter Jüni MD, FESC, is the Director of the Applied Health Research Centre (AHRC) at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. He has been serving as the Scientific Director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table since July 2020. Since March 2020, he has worked nearly exclusively on clinical trials, observational studies, basic research and science communication related to COVID-19.

Please note that you will receive details on how to join the webinar after registering for this event.

PHO Rounds are approved for continuing medical education from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. PHO Grand Rounds are also approved by Council of Professional Experience for professional development hours (PDHs) for members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). For more information, contact events@oahpp.ca .

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If you have submissions, or questions or comments about the items above, send them to events@oahpp.ca.

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or events@oahpp.ca .