Journal
EUROSURVEILLANCE
Volume 27, Issue 26, Pages -Publisher
EUR CENTRE DIS PREVENTION & CONTROL
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.26.2100864
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- European Union [101003673]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study describes the adaptations made by primary care influenza sentinel surveillance networks in Europe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The adaptations mainly focused on patient referral and sample collection pathways, laboratory testing, and data collection. Lessons learned include the importance of flexibility in establishing new routines and laboratory testing.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, primary care influenza sentinel surveillance networks within the Influenza Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness in Europe (I-MOVE) consortium rapidly adapted to COVID-19 surveillance. This study maps system adaptations and lessons learned about aligning influenza and COVID-19 surveillance following ECDC / WHO/ Europe recommendations and preparing for other diseases possibly emerging in the future. Using a qualitative approach, we describe the adaptations of seven sentinel sites in five European Union countries and the United Kingdom during the first pandemic phase (March-September 2020). Adaptations to sentinel systems were substantial (2/7 sites), moderate (2/7) or minor (3/7 sites). Most adaptations encompassed patient referral and sample collection pathways, laboratory testing and data collection. Strengths included established networks of primary care providers, highly qualified testing laboratories and stakeholder commitments. One challenge was the decreasing number of samples due to altered patient pathways. Lessons learned included flexibility establishing new routines and new laboratory testing. To enable simultaneous sentinel surveillance of influenza and COVID-19, experiences of the sentinel sites and testing infrastructure should be considered. The contradicting aims of rapid case finding and contact tracing, which are needed for control during a pandemic and regular surveillance, should be carefully balanced.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available