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Telephone Triage Data for Detection of Influenza-like Illness

Description

National surveillance is used to detect the emergence and spread of influenza virus variants and to monitor influenza-related morbidity and mortality. Nurse telephone triage (“call”) data may serve as a useful complement to traditional influenza surveillance, especially at times or in places traditional surveillance is not operating. It may also be useful to detect increased occurrence of non-influenza respiratory infection.

 

Objective

We compared state-level nurse call data to CDC national influenza surveillance data to determine how well call data performed relative to CDC sentinel provider and viral isolate data. This quantitative analysis extends an earlier semiquantitative regional analysis of the same data.

Submitted by elamb on