What went down at the TL Insider Fireside Chat with UHN’s Dr. Erin O’Connor and Dr. Beate Sander

With the city in its second phase of reopening, on Friday June 26, experts from Toronto’s University Health Network joined TL Insiders for a highly anticipated virtual Fireside Chat. Dr. Erin O’Connor, Deputy Medical Director of the UHN’s emergency departments, and Dr. Beate Sander, Director of Population Health Economics Research at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute–UHN, spoke to TL Insiders on what the new normally will look like this summer and moving forward.

In analyzing the Ontario government’s response to COVID-19, Dr. Sander and O’Connor recapped the facts of how important a lockdown was, how important physical distancing is, and where some preventative measures surely fell through the cracks. For example, referring to the number of cases in long-term care homes and among migrant workers in Canada as “disasters that did not need to happen.” They shared their views on the possibility of spikes due to protesting, and the optimism in finding a vaccine.

As the UHN continues with outreach and operation shifts to increase care and research around COVID-19, Dr. Sander and O’Connor reiterated that this is not a sprint, but a marathon. They later answered audience questions that covered topics like extra precautions to take for those with inflammatory conditions such as asthma, as well as their opinions on the recent Sick Kids report regarding the reopening of schools.

To learn more about what summer amidst a pandemic will look like, watch the recorded event here.

Join us for a virtual Serving Knowledge Supper Club with Chef Cory Vitiello and specialists from UHN’s Centre for Mental Health on July 7. Register here.