1. Syndromic surveillance of respiratory infections during protracted conflict: experiences from northern Syria 2016-2021.
- Author
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Tarnas, Maia C, Desai, Angel N, Parker, Daniel M, Almhawish, Naser, Zakieh, Omar, Rayes, Diana, Whalen-Browne, Molly, and Abbara, Aula
- Subjects
Humans ,Respiratory Tract Infections ,Virus Diseases ,Sentinel Surveillance ,Seasons ,Syria ,Influenza ,Human ,COVID-19 ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Respiratory infections ,Syndromic surveillance ,Pneumonia & Influenza ,Biodefense ,Vaccine Related ,Lung ,Infectious Diseases ,Emerging Infectious Diseases ,Prevention ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Microbiology ,Medical Microbiology ,Public Health and Health Services - Abstract
ObjectiveNorthern Syria faces a large burden of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). This study aimed to investigate the trends of Early Warning and Response Network (EWARN) reported ILI and SARI in northern Syria between 2016 and 2021 and the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2.MethodsWe extracted weekly EWARN data on ILI/ SARI and aggregated cases and consultations into 4-week intervals to calculate case positivity. We conducted a seasonal-trend decomposition to assess case trends in the presence of seasonal fluctuations.ResultsIt was observed that 4-week aggregates of ILI cases (n = 5,942,012), SARI cases (n = 114,939), ILI case positivity, and SARI case positivity exhibited seasonal fluctuations with peaks in the winter months. ILI and SARI cases in individuals aged ≥5 years surpassed those in individuals aged
- Published
- 2022