1. Coronavirus Disease Case Definitions, Diagnostic Testing Criteria, and Surveillance in 25 Countries with Highest Reported Case Counts
- Author
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Amitabh B. Suthar, Sara Schubert, Julie Garon, Alexia Couture, Amy M. Brown, and Sana Charania
- Subjects
COVID-19 ,coronavirus disease ,SARS-CoV-2 ,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ,viruses ,respiratory infections ,Medicine ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 - Abstract
We compared case definitions for suspected, probable, and confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as well as diagnostic testing criteria, used in the 25 countries with the highest reported case counts as of October 1, 2020. Of the identified countries, 56% followed World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for using a combination of clinical and epidemiologic criteria as part of the suspected case definition. A total of 75% of identified countries followed WHO recommendations on using clinical, epidemiologic, and diagnostic criteria for probable cases; 72% followed WHO recommendations to use PCR testing to confirm COVID-19. Finally, 64% of countries used testing eligibility criteria at least as permissive as WHO. We observed marked heterogeneity in testing eligibility requirements and in how countries define a COVID-19 case. This heterogeneity affects the ability to compare case counts, transmission, and vaccine effectiveness, as well as estimates derived from case surveillance data across countries.
- Published
- 2022
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