CANCOV is built on the GEMINI (GEneral Internal Medicine INpatient Initiative) and RECOVER (REhabilitation and reCOVERy after Critical Illness) program networks. Our interdisciplinary investigator group is comprised of clinicians from different specialties and scientists from different disciplines.

These include basic and translational scientists who are working together to improve the lives of patients. Outcomes and health services researchers are studying the relationship between patients and their health care system, and evaluate the clinical care they receive. Rehabilitation specialists are looking at how exercise and nutrition can contribute to the overall recovery and quality of life of patients.

We have come together to create CANCOV. We are a research platform grounded in a prospective longitudinal 1-year cohort study of patients infected with COVID-19.

CANCOV directly addresses the five research priorities of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for COVID-19 Research:

To accelerate the availability of high-quality and real-time evidence, we are developing a generalizable and comprehensive 1-year follow-up detailed outcomes dataset for extensive data sharing and collaboration.

To develop effective interventions by reorienting or amplifying existing platforms, we are using the multi-centre GEneral InternalMedicine INpatient Initiative (GEMINI) and the national REhabilitation and reCOVERy after Critical Illness (RECOVER) networks to improve care of COVID-19 patients and facilitate recovery.

To enable Canadian engagement and coordination, we are working with >100 Canadian investigators, various COVID-19 biobanks and the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) to harmonize protocols and to coordinate our efforts in the fight against COVID-19 so that maximum return for investment can be realized.

To provide evidence to inform care within Canada and internationally, we are linking multi-omic data with detailed clinical outcomes data and using artificial intelligence to shed light on predictors of outcomes.

To enhance collaborative efforts in Canada, we work with Genome Canada (CGen), Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCoGen), CITF, Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath), Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, Canadian Critical Care Society, Canadian Community ICU Research Network and Critical Care Ontario Services.