In his final podcast on the COVID-19 pandemic, renowned public health expert Vivek Goel looks back over an extraordinary year.

"As we've adopted new technologies at an unprecedented pace, we've transitioned to new ways of doing things in education, in health and in business. We've also seen significant supports for those in need and incredible advances in science and technology that we might not have imagined even a few months ago," says Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"So let's be thankful for all we have as we head into the holidays and think of how we can support those who have been less fortunate."

Episode 34 of the What's Next? COVID-19 podcast will be the last for Goel – the founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – as he prepares to embark on an academic leave this winter. In his final episode, Goel reflects on the challenges and triumphs of 2020, reminding listeners that some have had a much tougher year than others: People have lost their livelihoods and some have lost loved ones.

"The current modelling shows that in most parts of Canada, things will get worse before they get better. We have to limit our interactions over the holidays in order to break the chain of transmission," Goel says. "Generally, it's recommended that you stick to your own household.

"If you must interact with others try and do so outdoors, maintain physical distancing, wear masks, practise hand hygiene and stay home if symptomatic. These core public health recommendations have not changed."

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast was created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

Vaccines for COVID-19 are on their way – but much work remains to be done to ensure a safe and effective rollout across Canada, says renowned public health expert Vivek Goel.

"It's simply miraculous what has been accomplished in the past year in the development of the new vaccines," says Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"While there's a lot of attention on the manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine, we have to remember there are many other critical components and this is going to be an incredible exercise in co-ordination."

In episode 33 of the What's Next? COVID-19 podcast, Goel – the founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – discusses what will be involved in managing and delivering an immunization program on such a massive scale. That includes determining where people can receive the vaccine and sourcing equipment such as needles, syringes, cotton swabs and personal protective equipment for those running the program. People will also be needed to book appointments, manage lineups, administer the vaccine and handle cleaning and infection control of the spaces. Others will be needed to track adverse events and follow up with patients when a second dose is required. Monitoring and serological studies will also be required to track immunity.

 "It is simply unrealistic to expect that this can, or should, be done quickly if it's going to be effective and safe," Goel says. "But this is the best glimmer of hope that we've had in some time.

"There's still a lot of work to be done, and many pitfalls to overcome, but we can see an end in sight for this pandemic."

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

Across Canada and around the world, the pandemic has resulted in severe constraints on international and domestic travel, raising the question: Will business, educational and personal travel ever return to pre-pandemic levels?

"Countries are going to have to figure out how to open up in some way," says Professor Vivek Goel. "There are many different pilot approaches being undertaken."

In episode 32 of the What's Next? COVID-19 podcast, Goel explores the positive impact of the reduction in travel on the environment – and the negative impact it has had on tourism, the economy and personal lives as people can no longer travel to see family or attend weddings and funerals.

"The European Union has taken a risk-based approach based on transmission rates in countries and allowing people from lower-risk countries to move more freely," says Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts. "In Alberta, there is a pilot being done with testing on arrival and day seven, allowing people to have a reduced quarantine in exchange for more significant monitoring and testing.

"I, along with some colleagues, recently completed a study, which will soon be published, which supports this type of approach."

Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – says quarantine has significant economic, psychological consequences.

"If we can find a way to reduce it, it should help restore some travel. I'm hopeful that we will find some way to bring travel back."

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

What will 2021 be like? Will we still need to take preventive measures against COVID-19 once a vaccine is available?

And just how safe is an enclosed patio?

These are some of the questions listeners have asked Vivek Goel, host of the What's Next podcast. A professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Goel is also a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"A patio really has to have at least one side open to the air. Obviously, that's going to get pretty cold in the winter," Goel says in episode 31 of his podcast. "A fully enclosed patio may actually be more dangerous than indoor dining if there's not adequate ventilation, particularly because there will be gas heaters inside of the space as well.

"So in the cold winter months, in order to support our local restaurants, please consider takeout or delivery."

It's the second episode featuring questions for Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak. Back in May, subscribers asked whether they should wash their groceries and if it was OK to visit family. Now, what many want to know is: Are we headed into another lockdown?

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

The World Health Organization reports that there are 44 vaccine candidates now in human trials, with ten of them in phase three randomized clinical trials. But when will a vaccine be widely available?

"The regulators who will have to approve the vaccines are working very closely with the developers and examining data in real time, in what's known as a rolling review process. This will allow for the reviews of the vaccines to be done very quickly once the trials are completed," says Vivek Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"Manufacturers have also started production of the vaccines in anticipation of the approvals so that, once that happens, initial doses can be distributed quickly."

But there's still a lot of work to be done, Goel cautions.

In episode 30 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – explains what regulators and manufacturers will be watching for as vaccines are tested and discusses some of the hurdles facing large-scale immunization programs.

"The most recent results are very helpful, but we will continue to require patience before we get a fully effective vaccine out into everyone's arms."

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

As the number of reported cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Canada, so do questions about testing for the infection – including why it can take so long to get results.

"When testing is done in the lab, we also have to arrange for transportation of the specimens from where they're collected to the lab and then for the delivery of the results. These processes add to the turnaround time for the test results," says Vivek Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"Point-of-care testing holds great promise. This could be done with or without a health professional and in theory could be done in any site – a school or workplace or at home."

In episode 29 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – explains how health-care professionals test for infection today, and how that may change in the future.

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Canada and around the world, attention has focused on large gatherings such as weddings and parties.

But what about smaller get-togethers with family or friends?

"What is really important to avoid is situations where you're in closed, crowded and close contact settings, especially with random people that you don't know," says Vivek Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"I often get asked, is it okay to have dinner with friends on a patio? That is fine, as long as everyone is practising the precautions and that you're having dinner with people that you know, and that you can trust are also following precautions."

In episode 28 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – explains how social circles are meant to work and how limits on gathering do not remove the need to practise precautions such as distancing and masking.

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

It's easy to get fixated on the daily numbers of COVID-19 cases reported in the media, but a clearer picture emerges if you pay attention to a broader range of indicators.

It's important to consider the average number of cases over a set period as well as the reproduction number – the number of people that each infected person infects – and to keep an eye on the capacity of the health-care system, says Vivek Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"How many people are being hospitalized, how many ICU admissions are there and how many people are on ventilators and what proportion of people are dying? These are indicators of our health system capacity, as well as the severity of the disease," Goel says. "These numbers and proportions are staying low relative to the level seen in the spring."

In episode 27 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – says we're doing well in most indicators across Canada although "we may have to re-impose some restrictions in order to manage the upticks."

In the meantime, he advises: "Avoid the three Cs: close contact settings, closed and crowded spaces. Stay home if you're ill. If you're coming to one of the University of Toronto campuses, use the new uCheck application, which is an online symptom assessment tool. Practise hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and wear masks when required. Observe the posted gathering limits and maintain your social circles."

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

COVID-19 is being studied like no other disease in history, with hundreds of new research papers published every day – and the resulting headlines can lead to confusion, according to Vivek Goel.

"There has been intense public and media interest on individual studies, whether in preprints or in peer-reviewed journals," says Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"Some are later shown to be wrong … others are very good science but don't necessarily address the right clinical question. For example, an excellent piece of work showed that virus samples could survive for several days on inanimate surfaces, but that study did not show whether transmission of disease could take place through those means."

In episode 26 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – talks about the importance of recognizing that science is neither linear nor simple, and that a single piece of research should not automatically lead to new policies been drafted.

"What's important is the synthesis that's done over time and the conclusions that are reached out of academic debate," he says.

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.

As K-12 children head back to school this fall, parents should keep in mind the relatively low level of COVID-19 transmission in the community, as well as the benefits of in-person schooling, says Vivek Goel.

"Schools have been doing a tremendous amount of work to prepare: additional cleaning protocols, cohorting of students [and] staggered hours are some of the examples," says Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"All of these activities, what we do ourselves and what the schools do and what our communities do, will help ensure the safety of children."

In episode 25 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – talks about the importance of attending school for children's social development, education and equity. Not all students can learn from home, he points out.

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.