Respiratory disease

COVID-19: Safe Use of Urban Parks and Green Spaces During Gradual Lockdown Lifting

The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines to support the use of parks and green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reviews the main health benefits of green spaces and the basic principles to be respected to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in these areas. The document also presents promising initiatives put forward by municipalities in Québec, Canada and elsewhere in the world aimed at promoting the safe and optimal use of parks and green spaces. Finally, some relevant resources that can support the development of parks and green spaces by facilitating consideration of elements that are key to achieving this aim are listed.

Highlights

  • It is essential to make parks and green spaces accessible to the public, especially in the context of a pandemic lockdown, since they represent one of the few safe places where people can engage in a variety of physical and social activities.
  • Parks and green spaces improve many dimensions of ph…

Recommendations Concerning the reduction of Psychosocial Risk Factors at work in the context of a Pandemic - COVID-19

Preventative Measures for Employers

Psychosocial risk in the workplace are defined as factors related to work organization, management practices, working conditions and social relationships which increase the likelihood of adverse effects on the physical and psychological health of workers exposed (INSPQ, 2016)1.

The main PSRs recognized in the scientific literature are​:

A. Workload;

B. Social support from the superior and colleagues;

C. Decision-making autonomy;

D. Recognition.

In the context of a pandemic that significantly affects the usual working conditions, many of these risks may be exacerbated. It is therefore recommended to: 1) Be attentive to the presence of these risk factors and then 2) implement as soon as possible preventive actions…

Groupe de travail SAT-COVID-19

COVID-19: Tackling Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Seniors in a Pandemic Context

This document was written in the health emergency context of COVID-19. As it was created within a short time frame and is based on knowledge obtained from a quick and non-exhaustive summary analysis of the available scientific and grey literature, the findings presented in this document may need to be reviewed as the scientific knowledge related to the current pandemic develops.

Seniors need social interaction and social support networks to have good health and feelings of well-being and satisfaction with life.

Isolation and loneliness are common among seniors and have detrimental consequences on their physical and mental health. A number of social isolation risk factors are exacerbated in a pandemic context.

A systemic approach in partnership with the public, private, and community sectors on provincial, regional, and local levels should be prioritized in the fight against social isolation and loneliness. This approach must invol…

COVID-19: Adaptation of Public Health Recommendations for Extreme Heat in Accordance with Physical Distancing Recommendations

This document has been updated for internal use by the Health and Social Services Network.

Mitigating the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Development of Children Aged 0 to 5: Adapting Public Health Practices to Families and in Living Environments

Notice

This document was drafted in response to a request from the Direction de santé publique (DSPu) in the context of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Produced in a short period of time and based on knowledge from previous projects conducted by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), certain excerpts of which are reproduced here in their entirety, as well as on a summary and non-exhaustive review and analysis of the scientific literature, this document presents observations that may need to be revised based on the evolution of scientific knowledge related to the current pandemic. The INSPQ has therefore set up a scientific monitoring project for COVID-19 in order to rapidly modify this response, if necessary.

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to reduce the spread of the virus are transforming the daily lives and living environments of Quebec families. This document identifies the conditions created…

COVID-19: Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being Through Community Resilience and Social Cohesion

In addition to affecting health, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing major disruptions that are likely to affect the mental health, well-being and safety of individuals, families and communities. Therefore, the aim of this document is to help regional public health authorities implement action plans fostering good mental health as well as community resilience and social cohesion within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A brief, non-exhaustive review and analysis of the scientific and grey literature has made it possible to identify a logic model specifying what factors should be considered in regard to the pandemic, measures that should be put in place and tools that should be used to monitor the population’s mental health and well-being.
 
Several studies argue that protecting mental health, particularly in the context of a public health crisis, requires examining not only the support that must be offered to individuals, but also what actions can be…

The Use of Screens in the Context of the COVID 19 Pandemic – Some Guidelines

Summary

Following a request from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, this document aims to review the knowledge and recommendations surrounding the use of screens by children and young people and to propose orientations with regard to the main messages that should be conveyed when raising public awareness about the risks associated with the overuse of screens in the context of a pandemic. Particular attention is placed on the effects of screens on young people, given that they are increasingly exposed to them in their various living environments and that they are the target of most of the existing recommendations.

Key messages

  • Information and communication technologies have become ubiquitous in Quebec society. Exposure to screens begins at an increasingly early age and children and adolescents use them both at home and at school, for educational and recreational purposes.
  • Despite the usefulness and undeniable benefi…

Preventing Violence and Suicide Within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Courses of Action

Situations of concern for public safety and well-being

In addition to health concerns directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has raised concerns regarding numerous factors impacting the population’s well-being. These factors include, to name a few, the economic slowdown, job losses, the disruption of social ties (e.g. social isolation, reduced contact with family and friends, changes in routine, social tensions), changes in substance use and issues related to service access. These upheavals generate stress, distress and anxiety among the population, in addition to making the economic situation more precarious for many. Some groups may be more affected than others. In Canada, for example, the downturn in employment has been twice as high for women as that of men. It has also had a greater impact on young people. At the same time, the impact of the pandemic, lockdowns and distancing measures on mental health and well-being are being increasi…

COVID-19: Opening Community Gardens Safely

A number of questions are arising from regional public health directorates, organizations, and national and regional partners on the possibility of starting the season for community and collective gardens while respecting physical distancing and hygiene measures against COVID-19. Many partners are trying to determine if it will be possible to open community gardens on May 1, the start date for direct seeding. The most significant production usually begins in the second or third week of May. Québec has a short cultivation period. The decision to open the gardens warrants timely examination as a delayed opening may compromise production capacity for the entire summer season.

This document’s purpose is to support the decision-making of local authorities regarding the opening of community gardens by providing evidence of their benefits to population health as well as the conditions to respect to ensure the protection of their users in the current context of the COVID-19 pan…

COVID-19: Conditions Necessary for the Maintenance of Essential Services and the Gradual Opening of Other Workplaces

COVID-19 Preventive Measures in the Workplace

These measures apply in the context of sustained community transmission.

Any resumption of non-essential services must be carried out in such a way as to control the transmission of COVID-19. In fact, it is of paramount importance to avoid an important increase in the number of people infected, hospitalized or in intensive care, and of deaths.

A number of conditions must be respected to ensure the control of COVID-19 in Québec. Failure to respect these conditions could lead to a significant increase in the number of cases and thus potentially to reconsideration of the strategy for reopening workplaces (number and type of workplaces, required distancing and protection measures) in order to restore balance and limit the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare system. This strategy may vary from region to region depending on regional epidemiology.

These conditions are:

Groupe de travail SAT-COVID-19