Photo: Contributed
The province is working with indoor universities to develop COVID-19 research solutions for improving N95 masks, mental health and wellbeing.
The British Columbia Department of Health is working with the Interior University Research Coalition, Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia, Okanagan at Kelowna, and the University of Northern British Columbia at Prince George to understand and understand the harmful effects of COVID-19 to mitigate its impact on communities across the province.
Projects include identifying the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of people in rural communities, as well as developing telehealth programs that involve older adults outside of urban centers.
Other projects focus on improving the lifespan of N95 masks, as well as better understanding whether new technologies are improving the resilience of rural health practitioners.
“This is a win-win-win for the province, universities, and communities we serve in terms of the impact of this research on the health and quality of life of those who live there,” said Will Garrett-Petts, vice president for Research and study at TRU.
Garrett-Petts adds that the IURC has developed a model that can ensure responsible and innovative research.
“The work we do makes sense and is geared towards the interests of the local and regional communities,” he says. “This is a wonderful model of collaboration that we celebrate together.”
The Department has allocated $ 150,000 to the IURC, which will primarily focus on COVID-19 issues affecting the interior of BC. However, the results of these projects will help support health care decision-making in the region and the provinces and provide real opportunities for students to gain experience in the complex, ever-changing field of health care.
“When researchers from different institutions work together across disciplines, the research results benefit from different perspectives and synergies that result from institutional collaboration,” says Kathy Lewis, acting Vice President for Research at UNBC.
“These projects are fantastic examples of what can be done when researchers from across interior British Columbia come together to find solutions to urgent public health problems.”
UNBC and TRU will jointly develop a COVID-19 risk assessment tool that will help identify home care customers who are most at risk of contracting the virus.
UBCO will work with UNBC to improve the lifespan of nanofibers and activated carbon mats in N95 masks.
UBCO will work with UNBC and Interior Health to create a student-led community outreach telehealth program that engages older adults from outside urban centers and sets best practices for providing health support during a pandemic.
UBCO and the Scientific Director of BC’s Rural Coordination Center will work together to study the effects of climate change events on mental health. The new study will identify the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of people in rural communities to promote resilience.
