Table 3 Key messages to address in future health communications

Epidemiology

• Case numbers (e.g. number of people infected with COVID-19, number of people with confirmed COVID infection admitted to hospital, number of people recovering from COVID-19 infection, number of people with morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 infection)

• Location of outbreaks (e.g.Sharing information on outbreaks in a specific residential area, outbreaks in a commercial center, outbreak in a retail location)

• Region specific data (e.g. total number of new cases in a jurisdiction like x cases in Eastern Toronto)

Symptoms, Transmission and Severity

• Symptoms (e.g. what visible symptoms to be aware of if infected with COVID-19, like fever, flu, nausea)

• Modes of transmission (e.g.how is COVID-19 transmitted, human to human, aerosol, airborne)

• Severity and impact (e.g.seriousness of the pandemic, how many people have been impacted globally and locally)

Prevention

• Mask wearing (e.g.when should a mask be worn, what kind of masks should be used, how to safely use and dispose of a mask)

• Physical distancing (e.g. when is social distancing appropriate, what is the appropriate distance)

• Public Health Practices (e.g.what are different prevention methods, when should these methods be enforced and follow, which methods are more effective than others)

Treatment and cure

• Current treatments (e.g.treatment plans in place to treat people infected with COVID-19)

• Vaccine updates (e.g. status on vaccine development, information on the different approaches that are being taken to research and create a vaccine globally)

Impacts on other aspects

• Finances (e.g.the impact of the pandemic on finances such as job security, closure of labor markets, difficulty finding new jobs, government aid like CERB)

• Global economy (e.g.which countries are going in debt because of the pandemic and recovery, which countries cannot afford recovery for COVID-19, systems in place to support economic challenges globally)

• Mental Health (e.g.available services for those experiencing depression and anxiety, coping strategies to deal with anxiety)

• Housing (e.g. changes to housing, paying rent, subsidized housing)

Policies and Directives

• New policies and guidance (e.g.restrictions on public activities and centers, lockdown measures, mandated mask wearing and social distancing, government supports, enforcement policies and fines for public)