Data and Digital Solutions to Support Surveillance Strategies in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: To prevent spread and improve control of infectious diseases, public health experts need to closely monitor human and animal populations. Infectious disease surveillance is an established, routine data collection process essential for early warning, rapid response, and disease control. The quantity of data potentially useful for surveillance has increased exponentially due to social media and other big data streams. Digital epidemiology is a novel discipline that includes harvesting, analysing, and interpreting data that were not initially collected for healthcare needs to enhance traditional surveillance. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of digital epidemiology complementing traditional public health measures has been highlighted. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview for the application of data and digital solutions to support surveillance strategies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed databases. Articles published between January 2005 and May 2020 on the use of digital solutions to support surveillance strategies in pandemic settings and health emergencies were evaluated. Results: In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of digital epidemiology, available data sources, and components of 21st-century digital surveillance, early warning and response, outbreak management and control, and digital interventions. Conclusions: Our main purpose was to highlight the plausible use of new surveillance strategies, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and then to identify opportunities and challenges for the successful development and implementation of digital solutions during times of ordinary surveillance, with readiness for early-warning and response for future pandemics. The enhancement of traditional surveillance systems with novel digital surveillance methods creates the most effective framework for preparedness and response to future pandemics.