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. 2024 Jul 1;34(Supplement_1):i3-i10.
doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae072.

Identification of methodological issues regarding direct impact indicators of COVID-19: a rapid scoping review on morbidity, severity and mortality

Cesar Garriga  1 , Teresa Valero-Gaspar  1 , Carmen Rodriguez-Blazquez  1   2 , Asuncion Diaz  1   3 , Péter Bezzegh  4 , Šárka Daňková  5 , Brigid Unim  6 , Luigi Palmieri  6 , Martin Thiβen  7 , Richard Pentz  8 , Šeila Cilović-Lagarija  9 , Anes Jogunčić  9 , Rodrigo Feteira-Santos  10   11 , Jakov Vuković  12 , Jane Idavain  13 , Anda Curta  14 , Petru Sandu  14 , Matej Vinko  15 , Maria João Forjaz  1   16
Affiliations

Identification of methodological issues regarding direct impact indicators of COVID-19: a rapid scoping review on morbidity, severity and mortality

Cesar Garriga et al. Eur J Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: During the first epidemic wave, COVID-19 surveillance focused on quantifying the magnitude and the escalation of a growing global health crisis. The scientific community first assessed risk through basic indicators, such as the number of cases or rates of new cases and deaths, and later began using other direct impact indicators to conduct more detailed analyses. We aimed at synthesizing the scientific community's contribution to assessing the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health through indicators reported in research papers.

Methods: We conducted a rapid scoping review to identify and describe health indicators included in articles published between January 2020 and June 2021, using one strategy to search PubMed, EMBASE and WHO COVID-19 databases. Sixteen experts from European public health institutions screened papers and retrieved indicator characteristics. We also asked in an online survey how the health indicators were added to and used in policy documents in Europe.

Results: After reviewing 3891 records, we selected a final sample of 67 articles and 233 indicators. We identified 52 (22.3%) morbidity indicators from 33 articles, 105 severity indicators (45.1%, 27 articles) and 68 mortality indicators (29.2%, 51). Respondents from 22 countries completed 31 questionnaires, and the majority reported morbidity indicators (29, 93.5%), followed by mortality indicators (26, 83.9%).

Conclusions: The indicators collated here might be useful to assess the impact of future pandemics. Therefore, their measurement should be standardized to allow for comparisons between settings, countries and different populations.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram showing the selection process for the rapid scoping review of direct impact indicators of COVID-19
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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