ABSTRACT
Responding to introductions of diseases and conditions of unknown etiology is a critical public health function. In late December 2019, investigation of a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin in Wuhan, China, resulted in the identification of a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Multiple public health surveillance actions were rapidly implemented to detect introduction of the virus into the United States and track its spread including establishment of a national surveillance case definition and addition of the disease, coronavirus disease 2019, to the list of nationally notifiable conditions. Challenges in conducting effective case-based surveillance and the public health data supply chain and infrastructure are discussed.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/prevention & control , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Guidelines as Topic , Morbidity , Pandemics/prevention & control , Public Health Surveillance , United States Public Health Service/standards , COVID-19/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Pandemics/statistics & numerical data , SARS-CoV-2 , United States/epidemiology , United States Public Health Service/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
Large urban health departments developed and implemented various approaches to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and promote the health and well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity throughout the pandemic. Reviewing the approaches of several large urban health departments, the most frequent practices included increasing housing options, on-the-ground outreach and resource allocation, and integrated communications. Key steps necessary to develop and implement these policies and procedures are discussed, and innovative approaches are highlighted.