Seasonal and inter-seasonal RSV activity in the European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic from autumn 2020 to summer 2022

© 2023 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Background: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in early 2020 and subsequent implementation of public health and social measures (PHSM) disrupted the epidemiology of respiratory viruses. This work describes the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) observed during two winter seasons (weeks 40–20) and inter-seasonal periods (weeks 21–39) during the pandemic between October 2020 and September 2022. Methods: Using data submitted to The European Surveillance System (TESSy) by countries or territories in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region between weeks 40/2020 and 39/2022, we aggregated country-specific weekly RSV counts of sentinel, non-sentinel and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance specimens and calculated percentage positivity. Results for both 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons and inter-seasons were compared with pre-pandemic 2016/17 to 2019/20 seasons and inter-seasons. Results: Although more specimens were tested than in pre-COVID-19 pandemic seasons, very few RSV detections were reported during the 2020/21 season in all surveillance systems. During the 2021 inter-season, a gradual increase in detections was observed in all systems. In 2021/22, all systems saw early peaks of RSV infection, and during the 2022 inter-seasonal period, patterns of detections were closer to those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: RSV surveillance continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial reduction in transmission, followed by very high and out-of-season RSV circulation (summer 2021) and then an early start of the 2021/22 season. As of the 2022/23 season, RSV circulation had not yet normalised.Peer reviewe

Awareness and Knowledge of Physicians on Communicable Diseases Surveillance System in Kosovo, 2016

Surveillance of communicable diseases is one the main components of Public Health Priority of Kosovo health system. Epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases through the mandatory-reporting system is crucial in the planning and evaluation of disease control and prevention program. Study design: Qualitative survey in Health care institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary) Prishtina and Prizren region, and among epidemiologists working in NIPH/RCPH during October-November 2016. Sample size: Randomly sampled by a 2-stage process. Data were collected through self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis: SPSS v. 20.0 using Pearsons X2 test. In the study were samped 169 physicians in 16 public health institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary care) in the region of Prishtinë and Prizren and 19 epidemiologists. The response rate was 80.4%. 89% of physicians knew that communicable diseases should be reported. 82% know that they should be reported by physicians. Of total respodents, 67% know the diseases that should be reported within 24 hours. 63% reported that they use two forms for notification of diseases. Significantly higher proportions of the physicians working in primary health-care knew that that there are two reporting forms (p \u3c 0.01 CHI=130.696). 71% of physicians knew that if the final diagnosis changes from the initial one should be reported, but there was no significance based on the working experience (p=0.089 CHI=8.072.) Knowledge of physicians on reporting the communicable diseases in the country was high. Knowledge of the updated terminology among physicians and epidemiologist reamins low