Simulation Study of Surveillance Strategies for Faster Detection of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

ABSTRACT: Earlier global detection of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants gives governments more time to respond. However, few countries can implement timely national surveillance, resulting in gaps in monitoring. The United Kingdom implemented large-scale community and hospital surveillance, but experience suggests it might be faster to detect new variants through testing England arrivals for surveillance. We developed simulations of emergence and importation of novel variants with a range of infection hospitalization rates to the United Kingdom. We compared time taken to detect the variant though testing arrivals at England borders, hospital admissions, and the general community. We found that sampling 10%-50% of arrivals at England borders could confer a speed advantage of 3.5-6 weeks over existing communi

SUBMITTER: Patel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10617356 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature