Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal
Background. Severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance is recommended to assess the severity of respiratory infections disease. In 2021, the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, in collaboration with two general hospitals, implemented a SARI sentinel surveillance system ba...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6590011 |
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| author | Ana Rita Torres Verónica Gómez Irina Kislaya Ana Paula Rodrigues Margarida Fernandes Tavares Ana Catarina Pereira Débora Pereira Rita Côrte-Real Carlos Humberto Flores Nuno Verdasca Raquel Guiomar Ausenda Machado |
| author_facet | Ana Rita Torres Verónica Gómez Irina Kislaya Ana Paula Rodrigues Margarida Fernandes Tavares Ana Catarina Pereira Débora Pereira Rita Côrte-Real Carlos Humberto Flores Nuno Verdasca Raquel Guiomar Ausenda Machado |
| author_sort | Ana Rita Torres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance is recommended to assess the severity of respiratory infections disease. In 2021, the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, in collaboration with two general hospitals, implemented a SARI sentinel surveillance system based on electronic health registries. We describe its application in the 2021/2022 season and compare the evolution of SARI cases with the COVID-19 and influenza activity in two regions of Portugal. Methods. The main outcome of interest was the weekly incidence of patients hospitalized due to SARI, reported within the surveillance system. SARI cases were defined as patients containing ICD-10 codes for influenza-like illness, cardiovascular diagnosis, respiratory diagnosis, and respiratory infection in their primary admission diagnosis. Independent variables included weekly COVID-19 and influenza incidence in the North and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions. Pearson and cross-correlations between SARI cases, COVID-19 incidence and influenza incidence were estimated. Results. A high correlation between SARI cases or hospitalizations due to respiratory infection and COVID-19 incidence was obtained (ρ = 0.78 and ρ = 0.82, respectively). SARI cases detected the COVID-19 epidemic peak a week earlier. A weak correlation was observed between SARI and influenza cases (ρ = −0.20). However, if restricted to hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis, a moderate correlation was observed (ρ = 0.37). Moreover, hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis detected the increase of influenza epidemic activity a week earlier. Conclusion. In the 2021/2022 season, the Portuguese SARI sentinel surveillance system pilot was able to early detect the COVID-19 epidemic peak and the increase of influenza activity. Although cardiovascular manifestations associated with influenza infection are known, more seasons of surveillance are needed, to confirm the potential use of cardiovascular hospitalizations as an indicator of influenza activity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ed100e0e54e4b7a99d598a952743f2b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1918-1493 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ed100e0e54e4b7a99d598a952743f2b2025-08-20T03:36:32ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology1918-14932023-01-01202310.1155/2023/6590011Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in PortugalAna Rita Torres0Verónica Gómez1Irina Kislaya2Ana Paula Rodrigues3Margarida Fernandes Tavares4Ana Catarina Pereira5Débora Pereira6Rita Côrte-Real7Carlos Humberto Flores8Nuno Verdasca9Raquel Guiomar10Ausenda Machado11Department of EpidemiologyDepartment of EpidemiologyDepartment of EpidemiologyDepartment of EpidemiologyCentro Hospitalar Universitário de São JoãoCentro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa CentralCentro Hospitalar Universitário de São JoãoCentro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa CentralCentro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa CentralDepartment of Infectious DiseasesDepartment of Infectious DiseasesDepartment of EpidemiologyBackground. Severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance is recommended to assess the severity of respiratory infections disease. In 2021, the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, in collaboration with two general hospitals, implemented a SARI sentinel surveillance system based on electronic health registries. We describe its application in the 2021/2022 season and compare the evolution of SARI cases with the COVID-19 and influenza activity in two regions of Portugal. Methods. The main outcome of interest was the weekly incidence of patients hospitalized due to SARI, reported within the surveillance system. SARI cases were defined as patients containing ICD-10 codes for influenza-like illness, cardiovascular diagnosis, respiratory diagnosis, and respiratory infection in their primary admission diagnosis. Independent variables included weekly COVID-19 and influenza incidence in the North and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions. Pearson and cross-correlations between SARI cases, COVID-19 incidence and influenza incidence were estimated. Results. A high correlation between SARI cases or hospitalizations due to respiratory infection and COVID-19 incidence was obtained (ρ = 0.78 and ρ = 0.82, respectively). SARI cases detected the COVID-19 epidemic peak a week earlier. A weak correlation was observed between SARI and influenza cases (ρ = −0.20). However, if restricted to hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis, a moderate correlation was observed (ρ = 0.37). Moreover, hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis detected the increase of influenza epidemic activity a week earlier. Conclusion. In the 2021/2022 season, the Portuguese SARI sentinel surveillance system pilot was able to early detect the COVID-19 epidemic peak and the increase of influenza activity. Although cardiovascular manifestations associated with influenza infection are known, more seasons of surveillance are needed, to confirm the potential use of cardiovascular hospitalizations as an indicator of influenza activity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6590011 |
| spellingShingle | Ana Rita Torres Verónica Gómez Irina Kislaya Ana Paula Rodrigues Margarida Fernandes Tavares Ana Catarina Pereira Débora Pereira Rita Côrte-Real Carlos Humberto Flores Nuno Verdasca Raquel Guiomar Ausenda Machado Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology |
| title | Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal |
| title_full | Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal |
| title_fullStr | Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal |
| title_short | Monitoring COVID-19 and Influenza: The Added Value of a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Portugal |
| title_sort | monitoring covid 19 and influenza the added value of a severe acute respiratory infection surveillance system in portugal |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6590011 |
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