scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 13: Reporting week ending 23:59 AEST 26 April 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Case Ascertainment ◽  
Overseas Travel

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 26 April 2020: notifications = 6,711; deaths = 77. The reduction in international travel and domestic movement, social distancing measures and public health action have likely slowed the spread of COVID-19 in Australia. Notifications in Australia remain predominantly among people with recent overseas travel, with some locally-acquired cases being detected. Most locally-acquired cases can be linked back to a confirmed case, with a small portion unable to be epidemiologically linked to another case. The ratio of overseas-acquired cases to locally-acquired cases varies by jurisdiction. The crude case fatality rate (CFR) in Australia remains low (1.1%) compared to the World Health Organization’s globally-reported rate (6.9%) and to other comparable high-income countries such as the United States of America (5.1%) and the United Kingdom (13.7%). The lower CFR in Australia is likely reflective of high case ascertainment including detection of mild cases. High case ascertainment and prompt identification of contacts enables an effective public health response and a reduction of disease transmission. Internationally, cases continue to increase. The rates of increase have started to slow in several regions, although it is too soon to tell whether this trend will be sustained. Interpretation of international epidemiology should be conducted with caution as it differs from country to country depending not only on the disease dynamics, but also on differences in case detection, testing and implemented public health measures.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 12: Reporting week ending 23:59 AEST 19 April 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Case Ascertainment ◽  
Overseas Travel

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 19 April 2020: notifications = 6,606; deaths = 69. The reduction in international travel and domestic movement, social distancing measures and public health action have likely slowed the spread of the disease. Notifications in Australia remain predominantly among people with recent overseas travel, with some locally-acquired cases being detected. Most locally-acquired cases can be linked back to a confirmed case, with a small portion unable to be epidemiologically linked. The distribution of overseas-acquired cases to locally-acquired cases varies by jurisdiction. The crude case fatality rate (CFR) in Australia remains low (1.0%) compared to the World Health Organization’s globally-reported rate (6.8%) and to other comparable high-income countries such as the United States of America (4.7%) and the United Kingdom (13.5%). The low CFR is likely reflective of high case ascertainment including detection of mild cases. High case ascertainment enables public health response and reduction of disease transmission. Internationally, cases continue to increase. The rates of increase have started to slow in several regions, although it is too soon to tell whether this trend will be sustained. Interpretation of international epidemiology should be conducted with caution as it differs from country to country depending not only on the disease dynamics, but also on differences in case detection, testing and implemented public health measures.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 14 (Reporting week to 23:59 AEST 3 May 2020)

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States Of America ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The World ◽  
Overseas Travel ◽  
Health Action

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 03 May 2020: notifications = 6,784; deaths = 89. The reduction in international travel and domestic movement, social distancing measures and public health action have likely slowed the spread of COVID-19 in Australia. Currently new notifications in Australia are mostly considered to be locally-acquired with some cases still reported among people with recent overseas travel. Most locally-acquired cases can be linked back to a confirmed case or known cluster, with a small portion unable to be epidemiologically linked to another case. The ratio of overseas-acquired cases to locally-acquired cases varies by jurisdiction. The crude case fatality rate (CFR) in Australia remains low (1.3%) compared to the World Health Organization’s globally-reported rate (7.1%) and to other comparable high-income countries such as the United States of America (5.7%) and the United Kingdom (15.4%). The lower CFR in Australia is likely reflective of high case ascertainment including detection of mild cases. Internationally, cases continue to increase. The rates of increase have started to slow in several regions, although it is too soon to tell whether this trend will be sustained.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 10: Reporting week ending 23:59 AEST 5 April 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Case Detection ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Overseas Travel ◽  
Health Action

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 5 April 2020: Notifications = 5,805; Deaths = 33. Notifications in Australia remain predominantly among people with recent overseas travel, with some locally-acquired cases being detected. Most locally-acquired cases are able to be linked back to a confirmed case, with a small portion unable to be epidemiologically link. The distribution of overseas-acquired cases to locally acquired cases varies by jurisdiction. Early indications are that reduction in international travel, domestic movement, social distancing measures and public health action are slowing the spread of the disease. Internationally, cases continue to increase, with high rates of increase observed in the European region and the United States of America. The epidemiology differs from country to country depending not only on the disease, but also on differences in case detection, testing and implemented public health measures.

scholarly journals Early introductions and community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Alpert ◽  
Erica Lasek-Nesselquist ◽  
Anderson F. Brito ◽  
Andrew L. Valesano ◽  
Jessica Rothman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
The Uk

SummaryThe emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, has become a national public health concern in the United States because of its increased transmissibility. Over 500 COVID-19 cases associated with this variant have been detected since December 2020, but its local establishment and pathways of spread are relatively unknown. Using travel, genomic, and diagnostic testing data, we highlight the primary ports of entry for B.1.1.7 in the US and locations of possible underreporting of B.1.1.7 cases. New York, which receives the most international travel from the UK, is likely one of the key hubs for introductions and domestic spread. Finally, we provide evidence for increased community transmission in several states. Thus, genomic surveillance for B.1.1.7 and other variants urgently needs to be enhanced to better inform the public health response.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 15: Reporting week to 2359 AEST 10 May 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
The Past ◽  
Global Rate

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 10 May 2020: notifications = 6,971; deaths = 98. The incidence of new cases of COVID-19 has reduced dramatically since a peak in mid-march. The reduction in international travel, social distancing measures and public health action have likely been effective in slowing the spread of the disease, in the Australian community. Cases of COVID-19 continue to be notified by jurisdictions, albeit at a slowed rate. Testing rates over the past week have increased markedly, with a very low proportion of people testing positive. These low rates of detection are indicative of low levels of COVID-19 transmission. It is important that testing rates and community adherence to public health measures remain high to support the continued suppression of the virus, particularly in vulnerable high-risk groups and settings. In the past reporting week new cases in Australia are mostly considered to be locally acquired, consistent with the drop in international travel. Most locally-acquired cases can be linked back to a known case or cluster. Although the proportion of locally-acquired cases has increased, the overall rate of cases, regardless of place of acquisition, continues to decrease. The crude case fatality rate in Australia remains low (1.4%), compared with the WHO reported global rate (6.9%). The low case fatality rate is likely reflective of high case detection and high quality of health care services in Australia. Deaths from COVID-19 in Australia have occurred predominantly among the elderly and those with comorbidities, with no deaths occurring in those under 40 years. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 60-79 years, with a third of these cases associated with several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in young children, a pattern reflected in international reports. Internationally, cases continue to increase, with some areas such as Brazil and India showing a dramatic rise in reported cases. Although some low-income countries have currently reported few cases, it is possible that this is due to limited diagnostic and public health capacity, and may not be reflective of disease occurrence.

scholarly journals Global Telemedicine Implementation and Integration Within Health Systems to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call to Action

10.2196/18810 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e18810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Ohannessian ◽  
Tu Anh Duong ◽  
Anna Odone
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
National Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Health Organization

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic, with over 720,000 cases reported in more than 203 countries as of 31 March. The response strategy included early diagnosis, patient isolation, symptomatic monitoring of contacts as well as suspected and confirmed cases, and public health quarantine. In this context, telemedicine, particularly video consultations, has been promoted and scaled up to reduce the risk of transmission, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Based on a literature review, the first conceptual framework for telemedicine implementation during outbreaks was published in 2015. An updated framework for telemedicine in the COVID-19 pandemic has been defined. This framework could be applied at a large scale to improve the national public health response. Most countries, however, lack a regulatory framework to authorize, integrate, and reimburse telemedicine services, including in emergency and outbreak situations. In this context, Italy does not include telemedicine in the essential levels of care granted to all citizens within the National Health Service, while France authorized, reimbursed, and actively promoted the use of telemedicine. Several challenges remain for the global use and integration of telemedicine into the public health response to COVID-19 and future outbreaks. All stakeholders are encouraged to address the challenges and collaborate to promote the safe and evidence-based use of telemedicine during the current pandemic and future outbreaks. For countries without integrated telemedicine in their national health care system, the COVID-19 pandemic is a call to adopt the necessary regulatory frameworks for supporting wide adoption of telemedicine.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 19 (Fortnightly reporting period ending 21 June 2020)

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Case Identification ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Overseas Travel ◽  
Early Case

Notified cases of COVID-19 and associated deaths reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) to 21 June 2020. Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 7 June 2020: notifications = 7,491; deaths = 102. Over the past fortnightly reporting period, the number of new cases in most Australian states remains low; however, an increase in locally-acquired cases is observed for Victoria. Testing rates continue to be high across all jurisdictions, with the nationwide positivity rate remaining very low at less than 0.1%. The incidence of COVID-19 has markedly reduced since a peak in mid-March (Figure 1). A combination of early case identification, physical distancing, public health measures and a reduction in international travel have been effective in slowing the spread of disease in Australia. Of the 215 cases notified between 8 and 21 June, 75% (163 cases) were notified from Victoria. Most of these cases were acquired locally, in contrast with cases notified from other states (NSW, Qld and WA) where most new cases have been overseas-acquired. Of locally-acquired cases in Victoria in this period, 54% were associated with contacts of a confirmed case or in a known outbreak, while 46% were unable to be linked to another case. In response, the Victorian Government has re-introduced restrictions for household and outdoor gatherings and has delayed plans to ease other restrictions. A small proportion of overall cases have experienced severe disease, requiring hospitalisation or intensive care, with some fatalities. The crude case fatality rate amongst Australian cases is 1.4%. People who are older and have one or more comorbidities are more likely to experience severe disease. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 65–79 years. Three-quarters of all cases in this age group have been associated with overseas travel, including several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in children under 18 years, a pattern reflected in international reports. Internationally, as of 21 June 2020, the largest numbers of both cases and deaths have been reported in the United States. Of the confirmed cases reported globally, the case fatality rate is approximately 5.3%. Other countries in the Americas region, such as Brazil and Chile, are seeing rapid growth in case numbers. Case numbers in Europe remain relatively steady, while there is significant growth in the South East Asia region, including in India and Bangladesh. Reported cases are increasing in Africa, although the numbers are much smaller. In the Pacific there are few new cases reported daily.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 18: Fortnightly reporting period ending 7 June 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Overseas Travel ◽  
Early Case

Notified cases of COVID-19 and associated deaths reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) to 7 June 2020. Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 7 June 2020: notifications = 7,277; deaths = 102. Over the past fortnightly reporting period, the number of new cases in all jurisdictions continues to decline, or remain very low, and testing rates continue to be high across all jurisdictions, with the positivity rate remaining very low at less than 0.1%. The incidence of COVID-19 has markedly reduced since a peak in mid-March. A combination of early case identification, physical distancing, public health measures and a reduction in international travel have been effective in slowing the spread of disease in Australia. Of the 147 cases notified between 25 May and 7 June, 63% acquired their infection overseas. The proportion of cases locally acquired has dropped substantially to 28% of new cases this period compared with 50% and greater observed since 30 March 2020. Of the cases considered to be locally-acquired over this period, most were associated with contacts of confirmed cases or were associated with known outbreaks. A small proportion of overall cases have experienced severe disease, requiring hospitalisation or intensive care with some fatalities. The crude case fatality rate amongst Australian cases is 1.4%. People who are older and have one or more comorbidities are more likely to experience severe disease. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 65–79 years. Three-quarters of all cases in this age group have been associated with overseas travel, including several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in children under 18, a pattern reflected in international reports. Internationally, as of 7 June 2020, the largest numbers of both cases and deaths have been reported in the United States. Of the confirmed cases reported globally, the case fatality rate is approximately 5.8%. Countries in South America are seeing rapid growth in case numbers, while the United States is seeing a steady decline in its daily new case numbers. Case numbers in Europe remain relatively steady, with several countries in Eastern Europe experiencing rapid growth. In the South East Asia region, India and Bangladesh are seeing accelerating epidemics, compounded by the recovery from Cyclone Amphan. Reported cases are increasing in Africa, although the numbers are much smaller. In the Pacific there are few new cases reported daily.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 16: Reporting week ending 23:59 AEST 17 May 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Global Rate

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 17 May 2020: notifications = 7,075; deaths = 100. The incidence of new cases of COVID-19 has reduced dramatically since a peak in mid-March. Social distancing measures, public health action and the reduction in international travel have likely been effective in slowing the spread of the disease, in the Australian community. Testing rates over the past week have increased markedly, with a continued very low proportion of people testing positive. These low rates of detection are indicative of low levels of COVID-19 transmission. It is important that testing rates and community adherence to public health measures remain high to support the continued suppression of the virus, particularly in vulnerable high-risk groups and settings. New cases of COVID-19 are currently being reported by by only some jurisdictions, albeit at relatively low rates. Although case numbers are low, new cases tend to still be a mix of overseas-acquired and locally-acquired infections. Most locally-acquired cases can be linked back to a known case or cluster. Although the proportion of locally-acquired cases has increased, the overall rate of new cases, regardless of place of acquisition, continues to decrease. The crude case fatality rate in Australia remains low (1.4%), compared with the WHO reported global rate (6.9%). The low case fatality rate is likely reflective of high case detection and high quality of health care services in Australia. Deaths from COVID-19 in Australia have occurred predominantly among the elderly and those with comorbidities, with no deaths occurring in those under 40 years. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 60–79 years. One third of all cases in this age group have been associated with several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in young children, a pattern reflected in international reports. Internationally, while the number of new cases each day remains relatively stable at the global level, some areas such as Brazil and India are showing a dramatic rise in reported cases. Although some low-income countries have so far reported few cases, it is possible that this is due to limited diagnostic and public health capacity, and may not be reflective of true disease incidence.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 17: Fortnightly reporting period ending 24 May 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Median Number ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Overseas Travel

Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 24 May 2020: notifications = 7,135; deaths = 102. The incidence of COVID-19 has markedly reduced since a peak in mid-March. There have been no cases reported in SA, the NT or the ACT in the last four weeks. The numbers of new cases reported from other jurisdictions continue to be very low. Testing rates have been higher across all jurisdictions, with Victoria reporting an 85% testing rate increase and NSW a 40% increase over this period. The positivity rate nationally continues to remain very low at less than 0.1% over the reporting period. Continued high rates of testing are necessary to detect and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Over the past fortnight, 45% of cases acquired their infection overseas. Of cases considered to be locally acquired over this period, most were associated with contacts of confirmed cases or were associated with known outbreaks. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 65–79 years. Three-quarters of all cases in this age group have been associated with overseas travel, including several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in children under 18, a pattern reflected in international reports. A small proportion of cases overall have experienced severe disease, requiring hospitalisation or intensive care with some fatalities. The crude case fatality rate amongst Australian cases is 1.4%. People who are older and have one or more comorbidities are more likely to experience severe disease. A combination of early case identification, physical distancing, public health measures and a reduction in international travel have likely been effective in slowing the spread of the disease in Australia. In addition, the median number of days between symptom onset and diagnostic testing has improved considerably from 7 days in the early phase of the outbreak to 1 day in the latest phase of the epidemic. Internationally, as at 24 May 2020, there have been recent increases in the number of daily cases reported globally. The largest numbers of both cases and deaths have been reported in the United States. Of the confirmed cases reported globally, the case fatality rate is approximately 6.5%. Countries in South America are starting to see rapid acceleration, while the United States is seeing a very slow decline in its daily new case numbers. In the South East Asia region, India and Bangladesh are seeing accelerating epidemics, compounded by the recovery from Cyclone Amphan. Increasing numbers of cases are also being reported in Africa, although the numbers are much smaller. In the Pacific there are very few daily new cases reported.

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