The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Drug Overdose–Related Deaths in the United States and Canada
Canada and United States
Imtiaz et al. evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug overdose–related deaths in the United States and Canada using surveillance data. From 10 studies (9 from the US and 1 from Canada), the drug overdose–related deaths after the onset of COVID-19 were higher in the months leading up to the pandemic in 2020 compared with the months in 2019. Drug overdose–related deaths increased by 2% to 60% in US jurisdictions and by 58% in the Canadian study when comparing the second quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2020. A multidisciplinary approach should be used during a pandemic, including expansion of access to substance use disorder treatment and access to harm reduction services.
Citation. Imtiaz S, Nafeh F, Russell C, Ali F, Elton-Marshall T, Rehm J. The impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on drug overdose–related deaths in the United States and Canada: a systematic review of observational studies and analysis of public health surveillance data. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2021;16(1):87. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-021-00423-5
Monitoring Population-Level Physical Activity in Adolescents and Adults
Namibia
Nashandi et al. validated a self-report questionnaire by comparing it to an accurate device-based method to assess moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescent girls (n = 52) and women (n = 51) in Namibia. In adolescents, the questionnaire data had a nonsignificant positive correlation with the device, and in adults there was a significant positive correlation between the questionnaire and the device. In both groups, there was fair agreement between the self-report and device-assessed tertiles of MVPA. Device-assessed high MVPA was significantly higher in individuals self-reporting high MVPA compared to those reporting low MVPA. The questionnaire has high validity for application in population-level assessment of physical activity among adolescent girls and women in Namibia.
Citation. Nashandi HL, Reilly JJ, Janssen X. Public health surveillance of habitual physical activity in adolescents and adults in Namibia: a cross-sectional validation of activity questionnaires against accelerometry. J Public Health (Oxf). 2021;43(4):e706–e712. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa067
Comparison of Influenza Surveillance Systems in Australia, China, and Malaysia
Malaysia, China, and Australia
El Guerche-Séblain et al. compared national influenza surveillance systems in China, Malaysia, and Australia and evaluated their adherence to World Health Organization guidance. Across all subsystems in Australia, across 4 subsystems in China, and across 2 subsystems in Malaysia there were disparities, particularly in regard to data granularity, data representativeness, and data communication. There were no publicly available influenza epidemiological reports in Malaysia. The results of the comparison suggest that influenza monitoring in all 3 countries can benefit from surveillance sentinel programs, expanded use of laboratory confirmation, and use of excess mortality modeling.
Citation. El Guerche-Séblain C, Rigoine De Fougerolles T, et al. Comparison of influenza surveillance systems in Australia, China, Malaysia and expert recommendations for influenza control. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):1750. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11765-x
Automated Syndromic Surveillance in Communities
Taiwan
Chan et al. describe a surveillance system to serve as a sentinel for infectious disease outbreaks in Taipei City, Taiwan, using data from primary care clinics and community hospitals and incorporating spatiotemporal information. Meteorological factors were associated with 2 syndromic groups: influenza-like and enteroviral-like syndromes reported from July 2018 to October 2019. Daily average temperature was negatively associated with number of influenza-like syndrome. Daily minimum temperature, ozone, and concentration of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter were negatively associated with enteroviral-like syndromes. The system can provide warning signals to the local public health department and primary care physicians.
Citation. Chan TC, Tang JH, Hsieh CY, Chen KJ, Yu TH, Tsai YT. Approaching precision public health by automated syndromic surveillance in communities. PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0254479. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254479
Footnotes
Prepared by Vrinda Kalia, Columbia University, New York, NY. Correspondence should be sent to the AJPH Global News team at vk2316@cumc.columbia.edu.