Partner evidence products

Evidence products prepared or updated by our partners and in collaboration with a network of evidence-support units supported by a secretariat housed at the McMaster health Forum can be accessed below.

Note that this page includes a suite of living evidence syntheses (LES) that synthesize the best-available evidence about the effectiveness of six public health and social measures (quarantine and isolation, masks, ventilation, physical distancing, reduction of contacts, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, cleaning, and disinfecting), as well as combinations of and adherence to these measures, in preventing transmission of respiratory infectious diseases.

Title/question
(if in progress)
Synthesis product type
(product #)
Status Date of last search
(and publication)
Effectiveness of the Monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines LES 21.3Complete25 June 2024 (15 August 2024)
Effectiveness of Cleaning and Disinfecting for reducing transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases in non-healthcare community-based settings LES 18.2Complete28 March 2024 (12 September 2024)
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Consequences of the use of Doxycycline for Prevention of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): A Living Evidence Synthesis LES 24.1Complete28 March 2024 (23 July 2024)
What is the impact of implementing (or removing) COVID-19 vaccine mandates on trust in institutions and in science, on psychological reactance, and/or on intention to get future doses/vaccines?
Rapid synthesis
(RS 13.2)
Complete25 March 2024 (1 April 2022)
Effectiveness of masking in community and healthcare settings for reducing the incidence, transmission, hospitalizations and deaths from respiratory infectious diseases LES 14.2aComplete25 March 2024 (31 July 2024)
Effectiveness of isolation on the reduction of the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs: i.e., COVID-19, H1N1, SARS, MERS)LES 13.2aComplete 27 February 2024 (16 September 2024)
Unintended health and social consequences of isolation and quarantine for respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs: i.e., COVID-19, H1N1, SARS, and MERS)LES 13.2bComplete 27 February 2024 (16 September 2024)
Effectiveness of quarantine on the reduction of the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs: i.e., COVID-19, H1N1, SARS, and MERS)LES 13.2cComplete 27 February 2024 (16 September 2024)
Effectiveness of border closures/travel restrictions, screening and/ or quarantine to control the international spread of COVID-19 Rapid synthesis
(RS 14.2)
Complete5 February 2024 (17 May 2024)
Unintended consequences/outcomes of masking in response to COVID-19 in non-health care community-based settings LES 14.1bComplete22 February 2023 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of ventilation for reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in non-health care community-based settings LES 15.1Complete3 March 2023 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of measures to reduce contacts for reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in non-health care community-based settings LES 16.1aComplete 3 March 2023 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of physical distancing in reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in non-health care community-based settings LES 16.1bComplete3 March 2023 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette for reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses in non-health care community-based settings LES 17.1Complete16 December 2022 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of interventions for promoting adherence to PHSMs for preventing COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in non-health care community-based settings LES 19.1Complete3 March 2023 (16 October 2023)
Effectiveness of combinations of public health and social measures over time and across jurisdictions for reducing transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in non-healthcare community-based settings LES 20.1Complete3 March 2023 (16 October 2023)