Measuring the effectiveness of an automated text messaging active surveillance system for COVID-19 in the south of Ireland, March to April 2020

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2000972

. 2020 Jun;25(23):2000972.

doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2000972.

Measuring the effectiveness of an automated text messaging active surveillance system for COVID-19 in the south of Ireland, March to April 2020

Peter M Barrett^{1

2}, Niamh Bambury¹, Louise Kelly³, Rosalind Condon¹, Janice Crompton¹, Anne Sheahan¹; regional Department of Public Health^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health HSE-South (Cork and Kerry), St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
² Wellcome Trust-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Programme, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
³ Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.

PMID: 32553064
PMCID: PMC7403640
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2000972

Measuring the effectiveness of an automated text messaging active surveillance system for COVID-19 in the south of Ireland, March to April 2020

Peter M Barrett et al. Euro Surveill. 2020 Jun.

. 2020 Jun;25(23):2000972.

doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2000972.

Authors

Peter M Barrett^{1

2}, Niamh Bambury¹, Louise Kelly³, Rosalind Condon¹, Janice Crompton¹, Anne Sheahan¹; regional Department of Public Health^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health HSE-South (Cork and Kerry), St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
² Wellcome Trust-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Programme, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
³ Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.

PMID: 32553064
PMCID: PMC7403640
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2000972

Abstract

We report the effectiveness of automated text messaging for active surveillance of asymptomatic close contacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Cork/Kerry region of Ireland. In the first 7 weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, 1,336 close contacts received 12,421 automated texts. Overall, 120 contacts (9.0%) reported symptoms which required referral for testing and 35 (2.6%) tested positive for COVID-19. Non-response was high (n = 2,121; 17.1%) and this required substantial clinical and administrative resources for follow-up.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ireland; active surveillance; outbreak control; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

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References

1. Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team – Saturday 29 February. Dublin: Department of Health; 2020. Available from: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2f75fd-statement-from-the-national-p...
1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland. Report prepared by HPSC on 07/06/2020 for NPHET. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesin...
1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre. Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). National interim guidelines for public health management of contacts of cases of COVID-19. V8.4. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 20 May 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidanc...
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[1] Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team – Saturday 29 February. Dublin: Department of Health; 2020. Available from: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2f75fd-statement-from-the-national-p...

[2] Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team – Saturday 29 February. Dublin: Department of Health; 2020. Available from: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2f75fd-statement-from-the-national-p...

[3] Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland. Report prepared by HPSC on 07/06/2020 for NPHET. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesin...

[4] Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland. Report prepared by HPSC on 07/06/2020 for NPHET. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesin...

[5] Health Protection Surveillance Centre. Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). National interim guidelines for public health management of contacts of cases of COVID-19. V8.4. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 20 May 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidanc...

[6] Health Protection Surveillance Centre. Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). National interim guidelines for public health management of contacts of cases of COVID-19. V8.4. Dublin: Health Service Executive; 20 May 2020. Available from: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidanc...

[7] World Health Organization (WHO). Global surveillance for COVID-19 caused by human infection with COVID-19 virus. Interim guidance. Geneva: WHO; 20 Mar 2020. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331506/WHO-2019-nCoV-Su...

[8] World Health Organization (WHO). Global surveillance for COVID-19 caused by human infection with COVID-19 virus. Interim guidance. Geneva: WHO; 20 Mar 2020. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331506/WHO-2019-nCoV-Su...

[9] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Contact tracing: Public health management of persons, including healthcare workers, having had contact with COVID-19 cases in the European Union - second update. Stockholm: ECDC; 8 Apr 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Contact-tracing...

[10] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Contact tracing: Public health management of persons, including healthcare workers, having had contact with COVID-19 cases in the European Union - second update. Stockholm: ECDC; 8 Apr 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Contact-tracing...

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Measuring the effectiveness of an automated text messaging active surveillance system for COVID-19 in the south of Ireland, March to April 2020

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Measuring the effectiveness of an automated text messaging active surveillance system for COVID-19 in the south of Ireland, March to April 2020

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