Occurrences of Outbreaks in Toronto Healthcare Institutions; 2016-2020

The occurrences of COVID-19 cases have been increasing in healthcare settings. Previous outbreaks that occurred, such as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), also experienced a similar situation with an increasing number of cases in heathcare settings. This shows that the safety measures in these healthcare settings need to be investigated and be replaced with a more effective strategy that is personalized to the virus in question. The objective of this research is to investigate the causes behind the many outbreaks that have occurred in healthcare institutions affecting vulnerable population each year. Results show long term care homes (LTCH) experienced the greatest number of outbreaks compared to other healthcare facilities. It is vital to find an effective measure for LTCH and prevent outbreaks since it causes an increased number of deaths and other problems such as mental stress in patients. By Nadhiyya Shabir, Level IV Life Sciences Student at McMaster University