Publication
Communicable disease threats report, 21-27 February 2021, week 8
The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 21-27 February 2021 and includes updates on COVID-19, Avian influenza A(H5N8) virus, seasonal influenza, Ebola virus disease, chikungunya virus disease and dengue.
Publication
European surveillance of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in the EU/EEA: aggregate data reporting - Surveillance protocol version 1.1
This surveillance protocol seeks to enable countries to report their existing national surveillance data on COVID-19 in LTCFs easily and regularly. This will enable ECDC to report national trends in the EU/EEA, with the aim of providing all EU/EEA countries with timely information to support their preparedness activities for LTCFs.
Publication
Risk Assessment: Risk related to the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the EU/EEA – first update
This risk assessment presents the latest available information on the recent emergence of three variants of concern, VOC 202012/01 identified in the United Kingdom (UK), 501Y.V2 identified in South Africa, and P.1 identified in Brazil and Japan.
Publication
Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 - first update
This technical guidance aims to provide guidelines to laboratories and relevant stakeholders in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and other countries in the WHO European region in making decisions on establishing sequencing capacities and capabilities, in making decisions on which technologies to use and/or in deciding on the role of sequencing for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, research, outbreak investigations and surveillance.
Publication
ECDC rapid assessment of laboratory practices and needs related to COVID-19
This report assesses the current status of the EU/EEA and the UK COVID-19 laboratory response based on a short survey sent to all Member States and the UK.
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Real-time monitoring shows substantial excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, October to December 2020
S. K. Nørgaard, L. S. Vestergaard, J. Nielsen, L. Richter, D. Schmid, N. Bustos, T. Braye, M. Athanasiadou, T. Lytras, G. Denissov, T. Veideman, O. Luomala, T. Möttönen, A. Fouillet, C. Caserio-Schönemann, M. An der Heiden, H. Uphoff, K. Gkolfinopoulou, J. Bobvos, A. Paldy, N. Rotem, I. Kornilenko, L. Domegan, J. O'Donnell, F. Donato, M. Scortichini, P. Hoffmann, T. Velez, K. England, N. Calleja, L. van Asten, L. Stoeldraijer, R. A. White, T. H. Paulsen, S. P. da Silva, A. P. Rodrigues, P. Klepac, M. Zaletel, M. Fafangel, A. Larrauri, I. León, A. Farah, I. Galanis, C. Junker, D. Perisa, M. Sinnathamby, N. Andrews, M. G. O'Doherty, D. Irwin, S. Kennedy, J. McMenamin, C. Adlhoch, N. Bundle, P. Penttinen, J. Pukkila, R. Pebody, T. G. Krause and K. Mølbak
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Use of a whole genome sequencing-based approach for Mycobacterium tuberculosis surveillance in Europe in 2017-2019: an ECDC pilot study
E. Tagliani, R. Anthony, T. A. Kohl, A. de Neeling, V. Nikolayevskyy, C. Ködmön, F. P. Maurer, S. Niemann, D. van Soolingen, M. J. van der Werf and D. M. Cirillo
Publication
Risk Assessment: Risk related to spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the EU/EEA
This risk assessment presents the latest available information on the recent emergence of two variants of potential concern, VOC 202012/01 discovered in the United Kingdom (UK) and another variant, 501.V2 identified in South Africa. It also assesses the risk of these variants of concern being introduced and spread in the EU/EEA, as well as the increased impact this would have on health systems in the coming weeks.
Publication
Threat Assessment Brief: Rapid increase of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with multiple spike protein mutations observed in the United Kingdom
Over the last few weeks, the United Kingdom (UK) has faced a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in South East England, leading to enhanced epidemiological and virological investigations.
Publication
Avian influenza overview – update on 19 November 2020, EU/EEA and the UK
Since 16 October 2020, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have been reported in several EU/EEA countries – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden as well as in the United Kingdom.