The national web-based outbreak rapid alert system in Norway: eight years of experience, 2006–2013

Guzman-Herrador, Bernardo; Vold, Line; Berg, Thale Cathrine; Berglund, T; Heier, Berit Tafjord; Kapperud, Georg; Lange, Heidi; Nygård, Karin

doi:10.1017/s095026881500093x

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…In this descriptive study, the Norwegian Contact Tracing Team (NCTT) initiated systematic surveillance of COVID-19 cases and clusters (pupils and staff) in schools and preschools in October 2020. We collected data from the national outbreak alert system VESUV where all outbreaks, suspected or confirmed, are reported to The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) [ 12 ]. Reporting is mandated by law and conducted by various official health authorities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience with open schools and preschools in periods of high community transmission of COVID-19 in Norway during the academic year of 2020/2021

et al. 2022

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Background Schools and preschools have largely remained open in Norway throughout the pandemic, with flexible mitigation measures in place. This contrasts with many other high-income countries that closed schools for long periods of time. Here we describe cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 in schools and preschools during the academic year 2020/2021, to evaluate the strategy of keeping these open with infection prevention control measures in place. Methods In this descriptive study, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health initiated systematic surveillance for COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in schools and preschools in October 2020. Data was compiled from the national outbreak alert system VESUV, municipality websites, and media scanning combined with the national emergency preparedness register Beredt C-19. An outbreak was defined as ≥ 2 cases among pupils or staff within 14 days at the same educational setting. Settings were categorized as preschool (1–5-years), primary school (6–12-years), lower secondary school (13–15-years) and upper secondary school (16–18- years). We reported the incidence rate among preschool and school-aged pupils and gave a descriptive overview of outbreaks and included cases per educational setting. Results During the whole academic year, a total of 1203 outbreaks in preschools and school settings were identified, out of a total of 8311 preschools and schools nationwide. The incidence of COVID-19 in preschool- and school-aged children and the rates of outbreaks in these settings largely followed the community trend. Most of the outbreaks occurred in primary schools (40%) and preschools (25%). Outbreaks across all settings were mostly small (median 3 cases, range 2 to 72), however, 40 outbreaks (3% of total) included 20 or more cases. The larger outbreaks were predominantly seen in primary schools (43%). Conclusions We observed few large outbreaks in open schools and preschools in Norway during the academic year of 2020/2021, also when the Alpha variant was predominant. This illustrates that it is possible to keep schools and preschools open even during periods of high community transmission of COVID-19. Adherence to targeted IPC measures adaptable to the local situation has been essential to keep educational settings open, and thus reduce the total burden on children and adolescents.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience with open schools and preschools in periods of high community transmission of COVID-19 in Norway during the academic year of 2020/2021

et al. 2022

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“…Finally, It is useful in reinforcing recommendations for control and prevention measures. 4 Guzman-Herrador, B. et al, 2016 [ 46 ] National web-based outbreak rapid alert system (Vesuv) Web (1) outbreaks caused by infectious diseases that are notifiable to MSIS, (2) outbreaks suspected to be associated with food or water, (3) outbreaks of particularly severe illnesses (i.e. diseases with high mortality, high complication rate, or otherwise severe manifestations not otherwise notifiable to MSIS), (4) particularly extensive outbreaks, and (5) outbreaks in healthcare institutions *MSIS: Meldingssystem for smittsomme sykdommer (MSIS) Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases Norway Prospective Effective This system is helpful in terms of enhancing the reporting, and facilitating the sharing, of information between authorities at local and national levels.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Web-based Early Warning Systems enhance communication across surveillance networks from health facilities at local levels to higher public health authorities [ 46 , 48 ]. For example, Li et al, evaluating the Chinese web-based alert and response system, revealed its sensitivity especially with larger outbreaks (> 20 cases) than smaller ones (< 10 cases) with an average detection time of 1.7 and 2.1 days, respectively, and a 4.5 days-lag until reporting to public health authorities [ 47 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of early warning systems in the detection of infectious diseases outbreaks: a systematic review

et al. 2022

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Background Global pandemics have occurred with increasing frequency over the past decade reflecting the sub-optimum operationalization of surveillance systems handling human health data. Despite the wide array of current surveillance methods, their effectiveness varies with multiple factors. Here, we perform a systematic review of the effectiveness of alternative infectious diseases Early Warning Systems (EWSs) with a focus on the surveillance data collection methods, and taking into consideration feasibility in different settings. Methods We searched PubMed and Scopus databases on 21 October 2022. Articles were included if they covered the implementation of an early warning system and evaluated infectious diseases outbreaks that had potential to become pandemics. Of 1669 studies screened, 68 were included in the final sample. We performed quality assessment using an adapted CASP Checklist. Results Of the 68 articles included, 42 articles found EWSs successfully functioned independently as surveillance systems for pandemic-wide infectious diseases outbreaks, and 16 studies reported EWSs to have contributing surveillance features through complementary roles. Chief complaints from emergency departments’ data is an effective EWS but it requires standardized formats across hospitals. Centralized Public Health records-based EWSs facilitate information sharing; however, they rely on clinicians’ reporting of cases. Facilitated reporting by remote health settings and rapid alarm transmission are key advantages of Web-based EWSs. Pharmaceutical sales and laboratory results did not prove solo effectiveness. The EWS design combining surveillance data from both health records and staff was very successful. Also, daily surveillance data notification was the most successful and accepted enhancement strategy especially during mass gathering events. Eventually, in Low Middle Income Countries, working to improve and enhance existing systems was more critical than implementing new Syndromic Surveillance approaches. Conclusions Our study was able to evaluate the effectiveness of Early Warning Systems in different contexts and resource settings based on the EWSs’ method of data collection. There is consistent evidence that EWSs compiling pre-diagnosis data are more proactive to detect outbreaks. However, the fact that Syndromic Surveillance Systems (SSS) are more proactive than diagnostic disease surveillance should not be taken as an effective clue for outbreaks detection.

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“…Specifically, for outbreaks in healthcare institutions, information about number of cases amongst staff is collected. The web-based outbreak alert system is described in detail elsewhere [14]. To ensure that the information about the outbreak is updated, a reminder is generated after three weeks.…”

Section: Data Sourcementioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology and impact of norovirus outbreaks in Norwegian healthcare institutions, 2005–2018

Espenhain

Berg

Bentele

et al. 2019

Journal of Hospital Infection

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The aim of this study was, for the first time, to describe in detail the epidemiology and impact of norovirus outbreaks in healthcare institituions (HCIs) in Norway to identify areas which may improve outbreak response. Methods: An analysis of all reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals and long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) was carried out from week 34, 2005 to week 33, 2018. Seasonality, symptoms and number of cases among personnel and patients were described. Findings: A total of 20,544 cases, including 7044 healthcare personnel were reported in 965 outbreaks; 740 from LTCFs and 225 from hospitals. Median number of cases per outbreak was 15, interquartile range (IQR) 8e25 in LTCF; and 17, IQR 10e28 in hospitals. All regions reported outbreaks, with one-third of the municipalities having at least one outbreak in LTCFs during the study period. The start of the outbreak season happened almost four weeks earlier in hospitals than in LTCFs. The estimated average number of working days lost for healthcare personnel per year ranged from 1590 to 1944. Conclusions: Norovirus outbreaks in Norwegian HCIs appears to have a substantial impact on both hospital and LTCFs all over Norway, especially during the winter months. That up to half of all cases were healthcare professionals emphasizes a need for further focus on infection control. Our results suggest that hospitals, affected first, could alert LTCFs in the area in order to prevent further outbreaks.

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The national web-based outbreak rapid alert system in Norway: eight years of experience, 2006–2013

Cited by 15 publications

References 6 publications

Experience with open schools and preschools in periods of high community transmission of COVID-19 in Norway during the academic year of 2020/2021

Experience with open schools and preschools in periods of high community transmission of COVID-19 in Norway during the academic year of 2020/2021

Effectiveness of early warning systems in the detection of infectious diseases outbreaks: a systematic review

Epidemiology and impact of norovirus outbreaks in Norwegian healthcare institutions, 2005–2018

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