In a world flooded with fake news and myths on how to fight coronavirus, it is hard to find a reliable source of information. Whom to trust? That is why the CanCOVID website is so important.
CanCOVID is an online community of more than 2.400 researchers, clinical collaborators, and healthcare stakeholders from across the country that brings the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of Mona Nemer, the federal government’s Chief Science Advisor. Established in March 2020, its researches are divided into five key thematic networks, based on priorities developed in collaboration with the Canadian government:
– Public Health & Epidemiology
– Biomedical Research, Engineering and Science
– Clinical Research
– Policy & Economics
– Psychosocial & Behavioral Sciences
Using CanCOVID, its members can collaborate across critical research and development areas, from clinical trials and testing, to diagnostics and treatment. They can also provide information about the social-cultural ramifications of the pandemic, such as one of the side effects of the quarantine that is the growth of morbidity and mortality related to partner violence. People who previously had ways of escaping abusive situations are for now locked down in an abusive environment. So, you can find researches about the whole spectrum of studies related to pandemics and COVID-19 on the website.
They can also easily connect with others in their regional or local networks, clinicians on the frontlines, volunteers and the Canadian citizens. CanCOVID makes it easier for researchers who are working on different angles of the same problem to find each other, share what they know, vet research results and anticipate challenges.
There is so much information on the website, that one can feel lost, but CanCOVID has an AI assisted search that you can teach how to show exactly what you are looking for. From the users searches and Google Trends data, a dynamic library is created with the most common questions and keywords to make it even easier for you to clarify your doubts.
The CanCOVID’s content can be also found on social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, where you can access a playlist of Speaker Series and many other videos in English and French.
And CanCOVID can still grow with your help. If you are a researcher, scientist, policy maker, clinician or patient advocate, you can contribute submitting your information. And, even if you don’t fit into the categories above, you can still fill out the registration form in case you think you can help somehow to the CanCOVID community.
Sources:
https://cancovid.ca/
https://www.uoguelph.ca
https://www.ic.gc.ca
https://www.computecanada.ca
