Using an Administrative and Clinical Database to Determine the Early Spread of COVID-19 at the US Department of Veterans Affairs during the Beginning of the 2019-2020 Flu Season: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies examining the early spread of COVID-19 have used influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) to determine the early spread of COVID-19. We used COVID-19 case definition to identify COVID-like symptoms (CLS) independently of other influenza-like illnesses (ILIs). Using data from Emergency Department (ED) visits at VA Medical Centers in CA, TX, and FL, we compared weekly rates of CLS, ILIs, and non-influenza ILIs encounters during five consecutive flu seasons (2015-2020) and estimated the risk of developing each illness during the first 23 weeks of the 2019-2020 season compared to previous seasons. Patients with CLS were significantly more likely to visit the ED during the first 23 weeks of the 2019-2020 compared to prior seasons, while ED visits for influenza and non-influenza ILIs did

SUBMITTER: Lukowsky LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8879908 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature