SURVEILLANCE BY SENTINEL
NETWORK OF LABORATORIES
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19
Seminar Infectious Diseases, 25 November 2021
Created in 1983
Voluntary reporting
Weekly reporting
Positive cases
Limited data
Wide variety infectious diseases
Coordinated Sciensano
Data collection – processing - storage
Dissemination of information
/
Background sentinel laboratories
Created in 1983
Voluntary reporting
Weekly reporting
Positive cases
Limited data
Wide variety infectious diseases
Coordinated Sciensano
Data collection – processing - storage
Dissemination of this information
/
Background
Main objective: epidemiological surveillance
provide trends over time and distribution by person and place
Complementary to other surveillances
Dynamic surveillance :
Public health priorities
Diagnostic methods
Electronic reporting
Reorganizations of the laboratories
Fulfil national and international requests
Background
Variables
Lab ID
Patient Date of birth
Gender
Postcode
Sample Sample type
Sample ID
Sample date (date of diagnosis)
Result Germ (result)
Test method
(Other Country of infection)
Pathogens
Adenovirus Hantavirus Norovirus
Bartonella HAV Parainfluenza
B. pertussis HBV Plasmodium
B. burgdorferi HCV RSV
Campylobacter HEV Rotavirus
C. psittaci Herpes simplex virus 1 en 2 in CSV Rubivirus
C. trachomatis Influenza A Salmonella
Cryptococcus Influenza B Shigella
Cryptosporidium Legionella pneum. S. pneumoniae
Cyclospora Listeria S. pyogenes
E. coli (VTEC-EHEC) Morbillivirus T. pallidum
E. histolytica Mumps virus Varicella zoster virus in CSV
Enterovirus M. pneumoniae Y. enterocolitica
Giardia N. gonorrhoeae
H. influenzae N. meningitidis
Number of laboratories
Impact data transfer
Number of records
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
199
3
199
4
199
5
199
6
199
7
199
8
199
9
200
0
200
1
200
2
200
3
200
4
200
5
200
6
200
7
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
201
2
201
3
201
4
201
5
201
6
201
7
201
8
Export Papier Web
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
199
3
199
4
199
5
199
6
199
7
199
8
199
9
200
0
200
1
200
2
200
3
200
4
200
5
200
6
200
7
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
201
2
201
3
201
4
201
5
201
6
201
7
201
8
201
9
Export Papier Web
03 Feb 2020: first case BE
Cases confirmed by the NRC
March 2020: sharp increase in cases (local transmission)
Clinical microbiology laboratories perform diagnostic testing
Certification process
Cross-validation of positive samples with NRC
Participation in an external quality assessment scheme
Report test results on a daily basis to Sciensano
March - May 2020: 77 laboratories recognized for the molecular
diagnosis of COVID-19
Laboratory surveillance of COVID-19
Laboratory surveillance of COVID-19
March 2020 : sentinel network model
Variables as reported by SNL (DoB, gender, date sampling, postal code)
All tests (positive/negative/inconclusive)
Daily reporting
Data transfer via mail/sftp/Belnet
Data centralized, stored at SQL server and used for reporting
May - June 2020
Implementation national contact tracing system
Transfer all test results to healthdata.be platform of Sciensano
Specific technical guidelines
Shorten delays – as real time as possible
Data Collection
https://covid19lab.healthdata.be/data-collection/laboratorytestresult
Delay sampling → test result
2nd Wave 4th Wave
Delay sampling → test result
2nd Wave 4th Wave
2nd Wave 4th Wave
Delay test result → reporting
Delay test result → reporting
June 2021: Covid Safe App
Number of tests
Link prescription (~ 75% test results)
Link prescription (~ 75% test results)
Link prescription (~ 75% test results)
Link prescription (~ 75% test results)
Link prescription (~ 75% test results)
Link vaccination
Not vaccinated [18-64]
Not vaccinated [65 +]
Impact on surveillance of other ID
HUGE impact:
Exhaustivity of all testing data in Belgium (Laboratories, GPs, Pharmacies)
Mandatory reporting
Real-Time reporting and processing
Impact COVID-19 on sentinel network
HUGE impact:
Exhaustivity of all testing data in Belgium (Laboratories, GPs, Pharmacies)
Mandatory reporting
Real-Time reporting and processing
Amount of test results (> 700,000 a week, > 24M since march 2020)
Use of nominative data
Broader use than monitoring epidemiological trends :
Contact Tracing
Coronalert, CST, PHV, RSZ, PLF
Linkages: prescription, vaccination, STATBEL, IMA
Impact on surveillance other infectious diseases
Impact COVID-19 on sentinel network
What can we keep to build further for other ID?
Support automatized electronic reporting laboratories
Service epidemiology infectious Diseases
Healthdata
Limited data collection that can be used for multiple pathogens
Legal perspective
Flexibility (updates once/year)
Continuous evaluation representativeness
Voluntary participation
Recognition RIZIV-INAMI? Label - financial support?
Challenges for the future
https://covid-19.sciensano.be/nl
https://covid-19.sciensano.be/nl/covid-19-epidemiologische-situatie
https://covid-19.sciensano.be/nl/covid-19-wetenschappelijke-informatie-rag
https://epidemio.wiv-isp.be/ID/Surveillance/Pages/sentinelLabs.aspx
https://covid19lab.healthdata.be/
Meurisse et al. One year of laboratory-based COVID-19 surveillance system in Belgium: main
indicators and performance of the laboratories (March 2020-21). Arch Public Health. 2021
Muyldermans et al. Surveillance of Infectious Diseases by the Sentinel Laboratory Network in
Belgium: 30 Years of Continuous Improvement. PlosOne 2016
Useful links
Nothing would be possible without all the efforts,
collaborations of all physicians and laboratories
Many thanks !!
Contact
Sciensano • Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14 • 1050 Brussel • België
T +32 2 642 51 11 • T Pers +32 2 642 54 20 • [email protected] • www.sciensano.be