Symptom-based case definitions for COVID-19: Time and geographical variations for detection at hospital admission among 260,000 patients.
Joaquin BaruchAmanda M RojekChristiana KartsonakiBharath Kumar Tirupakuzhi Vijayaraghavan MdBronner P GonçalvesMark G PritchardLaura MersonJake DunningMatthew HallLouise SigfridBarbara Wanjiru CitarellaSrinivas MurthyTrokon O YeabahPiero L Olliaronull nullPublished in: Influenza and other respiratory viruses (2022)
The performance of case definitions might be different in different regions and may change over time. Similarly concerning is the fact that older patients often did not meet case definitions, risking delayed medical care. While epidemiologists must balance their analytics with field applicability, ongoing revision of case definitions is necessary to improve patient care through early diagnosis and limit potential nosocomial spread.