Adaptation of the routine surveillance system for infectious diseases in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 2021-04, Vol.64 (4), p.388-394
• Main Authors: Diercke, Michaela, Claus, Hermann, Rexroth, Ute, Hamouda, Osamah
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• Subjects: Communicable Diseases - epidemiology; COVID-19; Disease Notification; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Pandemics - prevention & control; Population Surveillance; SARS-CoV-2
• ISSN: 1437-1588
• DOI: 10.1007/s00103-021-03298-w

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the routine surveillance system for infectious diseases had to be adapted. The disease was unknown before the first cases were reported under a catch-all notification requirement for new and threatening pathogens and diseases, but specific notification requirements for SARS-CoV‑2 detection by laboratories as well as for suspect cases of COVID-19 diagnosed by physicians were soon integrated in the infectious diseases protection act. This article describes how the notification system for infectious diseases was adapted in 2020 to meet the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic.In addition to the notification requirements, the list of data that is collected through the notification system was also amended. To facilitate the work of laboratories and local health authorities we have established the possibility for electronic reporting.Additionally, the software used for case and contact management within the local health authorities had to be adapted accordingly.COVID-19 notification data is important for the assessment of the current epidemiological situation and daily updated data was published by the Robert Koch Institute. To ensure timely data and good data quality, the IT infrastructure within the public health system has to be further modernized and the electronic notification system should be further strengthened.