Available evidence on integrating COVID-19 into sentinel surveillance systems: A scoping review

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses of epidemiological surveillance systems and highlighted the need to integrate new respiratory viruses into sentinel surveillance systems. However, current evidence on their effectiveness remains limited.

This project conducts a scoping review to describe the available evidence on the integration of COVID-19 into sentinel surveillance systems.

The included studies addressed sentinel surveillance in the context of the pandemic following the World Health Organization declaration. A systematic search was performed in databases including MEDLINE, LILACS, EPISTEMONIKOS, and DIMENSIONS, selecting observational studies and systematic reviews. Data collection and analysis were organized into categories such as clinical characteristics, timely detection, geographic representativeness, co-infection, and adaptability with genomic surveillance. Seventeen studies reporting on COVID-19 integration impact and one preliminary WHO report were identified.

Results identified the most prevalent symptoms in the general population: fever (73%), cough (51.8%), loss of taste or smell (45.1%), hypoxemia (33%), and sputum production (23.9%). A high correlation was obtained between SARI cases or hospitalizations due to respiratory infection and the incidence of COVID-19 (ρ = 0.78 and ρ = 0.82 respectively).

Integrating COVID-19 into the sentinel surveillance system could improve detection, response, and follow-up capacity. Additionally, implementing standardized case definitions promotes more efficient use of laboratory resources, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the surveillance system.