Will the COVID-19 pandemic force workplaces to rethink their sick leave policies? Is requiring that all workplaces offer a certain number of sick days the answer to ensuring employees stay home when potentially ill with COVID-19, or does it just lead to abuse? Who should pay for these sick days? How are the issues different …
Prof. Stephen Marshall, School of Environmental Sciences, spoke to CHCH News for a report on midges that have taken over the trails along Hamilton-area waterways. Marshall explained that the bugs are non-biting midges, also known as lake flies, and they’re so abundant right now because it’s mating season. “The males pack into these enormous masses …
Prof. Shai Barbut, Department of Food Science, spoke to Wired magazine about whether the COVID-19 pandemic will push meat packing facilities to adopt more automation. Several outbreaks of the viral illness have occurred in packing facilities, where employees often work shoulder-to-shoulder. Barbut noted that while poultry production has become more mechanized during recent decades, pork …
With Canada’s spy agency, CSIS, warning Canadian university researchers and pharmaceutical companies they are at increased risk of cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Guelph has an expert who can offer comment. Prof. Ali Dehghantanha is the director of the Cyber Science Lab in U of G’s School of Computer Science. He says …
With dozens of research teams around the world working on finding a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, will Canadians be willing to accept a new vaccine once it becomes available? According to a University of Guelph expert on vaccine acceptance, it will depend on how much Canadians continue to trust government leaders and decision makers. Prof. …
With experts advising physical distancing for pets and reports of animals becoming infected with COVID-19, is now a good time to welcome a new pet into the home? The University of Guelph has an expert who can offer comment. Prof. Scott Weese, chief of infection control at U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College, has been …
New University of Guelph research that analyzes strategies for reopening public spaces after the COVID-19 epidemic curve flattens is making headlines across the country. The study is written by Madhur Anand, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES) and director of U of G’s Guelph Institute for Environmental Research, along with SES post-doctoral …
With Canadian public health officials now advising against wearing gloves to protect against COVID-19, the University of Guelph has an expert who can offer comment. Prof. Keith Warriner is a food microbiologist in U of G’s Department of Food Science. He researches food-borne pathogens, food-borne hazards detection technologies and intervention technologies. The problem with gloves, …
Prof. Mike von Massow, a food economist in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, spoke with the Financial Post about how the pandemic could change Canada’s meat processing industry. Von Massow, who studies the structure and performance of food supply chains, said he had little doubt the pandemic will leave lasting changes to …
Prof. Mark Fenske, Department of Psychology, spoke to Fast Company magazine about how to understand boredom that has arisen from the pandemic and how to use that boredom to spark growth. Fenske explained that confusion and disorientation can be misconstrued as boredom. Since the pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our lives, it’s important to …
Prof. Myrna Dawson, director of U of G’s Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Responses to Violence, spoke to the Toronto Star about the proposal of creating women’s police stations for victims of domestic violence. Such stations have already been adopted in communities across Africa and Central and South America, with research suggesting …
Prof. Simon Somogyi, Arrell Chair in the Business of Food, was featured in a National Post article about the many food-related consumer changes that have emerged since the pandemic began. Both online food delivery and sales of meal kits have surged in recent weeks, Somogyi noted. But he added that may not last after work …
Why are conspiracy theories that the coronavirus pandemic was planned and that the virus was developed in a laboratory gaining traction without scientific evidence to support the theories? University of Guelph Prof. Maya Goldenberg said people are drawn to conspiracy theories because we live in a fear-filled climate with uncertainty and unknowns about the COVID-19 …
An article in Science magazine about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in tracking the spread of new COVID-19 outbreaks features Prof. Rozita Dara, School of Computer Science. Dara said that although automated AI systems are labour-intensive, once they are up and running, the technology can be an efficient tracking tool. For example, to train …
Despite all that Canada’s meat supply chain has faced in recent weeks, says University of Guelph food economist Prof. Mike von Massow to national media, so far the system has held up. He was featured in a CBC News article that also discussed the Canadian meat supply. In the last several weeks, this supply chain has …
Prof. Amy Greer offered some context to VICE Canada about zoonotic illnesses is response to a celebrity rant on social media. Singer Bryan Adams took to Instagram this week to blame meat-eating for the COVID-19 pandemic, while pushing fans to go vegan. (After accusations the rant appeared racist, Adams later apologized.) Greer, who studies infectious …
With frustration over the pandemic restrictions beginning to mount for many Canadians, what is needed for citizens to maintain their trust in the advice of experts and governments? The University of Guelph has an expert who can offer comment. Prof. Maya Goldenberg, with U of G’s Department of Philosophy, has long examined the question of …
With a new Statistics Canada report showing that the grocery shopping habits of Canadians have changed dramatically in recent months, the University of Guelph has an expert who can offer comment. Prof. Mike von Massow is a food economist in U of G’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics and studies the structure and …
Prof. Norman O’Reilly, the director of International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership at U of G, spoke to CTV News Channel about how professional and amateur sports leagues have fared during the pandemic. O’Reilly said that for the bigger leagues, such as the NBA and NHL, the idea of moving games into empty arenas …
Prof. Scott Weese, the head of infection control at U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), spoke to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about changing government advice on whether pets pose a risk for spreading the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently updated its coronavirus guidelines to state that animals and pets …