Epidemic Surveillance of Covid-19: Considering Uncertainty and Under-Ascertainment

Epidemic Surveillance of Covid-19: Considering Uncertainty and Under-Ascertainment

Carla Nunes, Alexandre Abrantes, Vasco Ricoca Peixoto

Epidemic surveillance is a fundamental part of public health practice. Addressing under-ascertainment of cases is relevant in most surveillance systems, especially in pandemics of new diseases with a large spectrum of clinical presentations as it may influence timings of policy implementation and public risk perception. From this perspective, this article presents and discusses early evidence on under-ascertainment of COVID-19 and its motifs, options for surveillance, and reflections around their importance to tailor public health measures. In the case of COVID-19, systematically addressing and estimating under-ascertainment of cases is essential to tailor timely public health measures, and communicating these findings is of the utmost importance for policy making and public perception.

2020

Surveillance, underreporting, Surveillance system sensitivity, Under-ascertainment, COVID-19

DOI: 10.1159/000507587

Portuguese Journal of Public Health

Karger

Public aspects of medicine