Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2: Detection by community viral surveillance.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33893241.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.abf0874 and PMC identifier 8158959.
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Abstract
Surveillance of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has mainly relied on case reporting, which is biased by health service performance, test availability, and test-seeking behaviors. We report a community-wide national representative surveillance program in England based on self-administered swab results from ~594,000 individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2, regardless of symptoms, between May and the beginning of September 2020. The epidemic declined between May and July 2020 but then increased gradually from mid-August, accelerating into early September 2020 at the start of the second wave. When compared with cases detected through routine surveillance, we report here a longer period of decline and a younger age distribution. Representative community sampling for SARS-CoV-2 can substantially improve situational awareness and feed into the public health response even at low prevalence.
Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
- Epidemiological Monitoring
- Public Health Surveillance