Interoperability and crisis management in pandemic outbreak scenarios an overview on different case studies of the austrian approach to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 spread and adherent management challenges

ABSTRACT

The global spread of the novel Corona Virus, SARS-CoV-2, in the first half of 2020, resulted in a massive strain of multiple and diverse crisis management structures all over the world. Interoperability of governmental and non-governmental responder organizations as well as of analysis and communication infrastructure were put under a real stress test and concepts of the response to this pandemic outbreak were rapidly set up, modified, changed, and applied according to multiple integrated and changing data sources. Austria, as a country with a relatively mild development of the COVID effects, will be selected as a use case provider to exemplify lessons learned. This paper will give a comprehensive overview of the dynamic development of the initial and follow up steps. Examples from a public service provider AGES, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, the research organization and technology provider AIT, and the first responder and social services organization Johanniter Unfallhilfe, will show lessons learned, good practice, but also challenges and open questions or gaps in the wake of this complex crisis scenario. © 2019 by the authors.