WHO policy brief: COVID-19 surveillance

Overview

• Countries are advised to sustain collaborative surveillance for COVID-19, in order to provide a basis for situational awareness and risk assessment and the detection of significant changes in virus characteristics, virus spread, disease severity and population immunity, as per the WHO Director-General’s standing recommendations for COVID-19.
• Integration of COVID-19 surveillance with surveillance for other respiratory infections, e.g. influenza, should be prioritized, to provide baselines relative to other circulating viruses. 
• WHO urges countries to report epidemiological and laboratory information in a timely manner to established WHO regional or global platforms, through RespiMart and the expanded activities of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). 
• Multiple approaches should be applied to SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, including monitoring infections in populations at highest risk of severe disease, characterizing new SARS-CoV-2 variants and investigating post COVID-19 condition. 
• SARS-CoV-2 testing should continue strategically and be integrated into existing infectious disease (e.g. respiratory pathogen) surveillance systems. 
• It is crucial to continue genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential using capacities that were strengthened for COVID-19. Testing, reporting and risk assessment for SARS-CoV-2 continues to be needed and should utilize genomic surveillance and phenotypic assessment. 
• Strengthened COVID-19 surveillance systems enhance pandemic preparedness for respiratory pathogens. Countries are urged to maintain operational readiness for surges of COVID-19 and other emerging and re-emerging pathogens. 
• WHO encourages its Member States to improve data linkage, share data and experiences and explore more innovative and collaborative approaches to timely detection of outbreaks, understanding risks and vulnerabilities.