In the next pandemic, Canada will be prepared

In the next pandemic, Canada will be prepared

The Toronto High Containment Facility (THCF), housed at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, is equipped to safely study pathogens that cause infectious disease, and was among the first labs in Canada to enable researchers to work with SaRS-CoV-2 samples.

While similar facilities elsewhere had closed after the 2003 SARS outbreak, the U of T lab remained open – supporting a vast research community including academic, hospital and industrial research needs – and was able to make a significant contribution to understanding and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.