The Parliamentary Health Research Caucus has been fortunate to have Canada’s best and brightest health researchers and health innovators present their research discoveries and new technologies to Parliamentarians at events throughout the past decade.

Although most health researchers and health innovators face pressures and stress in their working lives, those whose work takes place during a crisis, like the current one we are in with COVID-19, means they must cope with even greater responsibility and pressure. Research in support of pandemic planning and response is rapid and decisive, putting a great deal of stress on our health researchers, clinician researchers and health innovators.

Many of you have answered the call to undertake critical research on COVID-19 that will help us to develop and implement measures to rapidly detect, manage and reduce the transmission of COVID-19 as well as find medicines and treatments that will stop the virus in its tracks.

Many of you have redeployed to hospital settings to help address the new demands placed on our healthcare system during this pandemic. Some of you are also making sure that Canadians are receiving timely, evidence-based information through the media on COVID-19 giving Canadians back the power to help prevent the spread of the virus.

We want to thank you for your dedication and commitment and, although we miss seeing you on the Hill, we know you are precisely where you need to be right now. You have our support and that of all Canadians through this daunting time.

Please look after yourselves. We need you to stay healthy as we go through this together.

Sincerely,

The Parliamentary Health Research Caucus