Public Health Sudbury & Districts to start collecting social data of COVID-19 cases

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is planning to start collecting more information from anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health, says the data collection will help the health unit continue to focus on equity.

"With COVID, we have an opportunity to collect information on race, Indigenous identity and household income all on a voluntary basis for people who are presenting as cases for COVID-19," she said.

"We think this will help us really get a better picture of who is most vulnerable, what are different strategies we can put in place to prevent or reduce risk."

Sutcliffe says the information will be collected on new cases reported in the district. The last positive case reported in the area was May 14.

"Should we have more cases, we will be able to have that as a possibility if those individuals are willing to share that information with us," she said.

Sutcliffe says the additional information wouldn't be connected to the file and would not be identifiable.

She says data collected in Toronto has shown a higher number of cases in neighborhoods that have cultural and racial diversity.

She says she's not sure if a similar trend is happening in the Sudbury area.

"We don't know," she said. "We're not Toronto. There are some differences and some similarities. So I think it's very important we do understand the race but also the social and economic face of COVID-19."

Sutcliffe adds the information could result in change to help.

"The more that we are able to understand the health impacts, the more that we get to the underlying determinants of health," she said.

"And hopefully to decisions that will help to reduce risk and improve people's living circumstances."