Section: Module 4: Testing and Surveillance | Pandemic Etiology, Preparedness, and Response | NextGenU.org

  • Instructional Goals covered in this module:
    • Determine the suitability of different types of testing assays for pandemic screening programs based on the availability of resources and biological, procedural, logistical, financial, ethical, cultural, and analytical constraints.
    • Evaluate different types of epidemiologic surveillance methods (routine, active, syndromic) and strategies (contact tracing, case reporting, etc.) for strengths and weaknesses in the warning, prevention, and control of infectious diseases at different levels of society (individual, local, national, international).

    • Module 4: Lesson 1: Pandemic Screening Programs and Testing Assays

      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Identify the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of different types of diagnostic testing methods available for SARS-CoV-2 and other previous pandemic-causing viruses.
      • Examine the impact of procedural, logistical, and financial factors on infectious disease screening programs.
      • Break down the ethical, political, and cultural constraints on the development and implementation of screening assays and programs.
      • Evaluate the success and sustainability of strategies and policies for SARS-CoV-2 detection that were implemented globally.
      • Determine appropriate infectious disease screening mechanisms and strategies for implementation in different income settings.

      Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 8 hours and 42 minutes.

      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • url icon
      Episode #14 - COVID-19 - Tests URL
      Students must
      View

      Watch the entire video. (5 minutes)

      WHO

    • url icon
      Rapid Expert Consultation on Critical Issues in Diagnostic Testing for the COVID-19 Pandemic URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Critical Areas for Consideration" up until the subheading "Role of Government and Public-Private Entities in Expanding POC Testing" on pages 7 - 12. (18 minutes)

      The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

    • url icon
      Importance of diagnostics in epidemic and pandemic preparedness URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Challenges to diagnostic preparedness." (16 minutes)

      US National Library of Medicine

    • url icon
      Surveillance and the "New Normal" of COVID-19: Public Health, Data and Justie URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "I. Introduction", "II. Process", "III. Context: The Politics of Surveillance", "IV. Inequalities in Health", "V. Challenges in Governance", and ""VI. Data Protection. (40 minutes)

      The Social Science Research Council

    • url icon
      Ethical issues in managing the COVID-19 pandemic URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire article. (37 minutes)

      Bioethics

    • url icon
      Suppressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic using controlled testing and isolation URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Introduction", "Stochastic model for controlled testing", "Results", and "Discussion". (30 minutes)

      Scientific Reports

    • url icon
      Preventing the next pandemic: the power of a global viral surveillance network URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire webpage. (13 minutes)

      The BMJ

    • url icon
      CDC Strategy for Global Response to COVID-19 (2020-2023) URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire document. (12 minutes)

      Center for Disease Control and Prevention

    • forum icon
      Discussion Forum 3 (180 mins)
      Students must
      View
      Start discussions: 1

      In this activity, you will discuss components of an infectious disease screening strategy that will be appropriate for a particular group of individuals.

      Instructions

      1. Reflect on the topic using initial readings in the course, previous knowledge, or other sources that have expanded your knowledge.
      2. Prepare a 500 - 650 word paper to summarize your reflections. Based on the country you selected in module 1 activity, you should:
        1. Indicate three components of an infectious disease screening strategy that will be appropriate for a particular group of individuals — ensuring to consider test availability in the country you have selected.
        2. Provide explanations to support your proposals.
      3. You must cite and reference at least two credible sources. All references should follow the 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).
      4. The paper should be written in Times New Roman, point 12, and double spaced. Submit the paper along with a cover page and reference.
      5. To submit your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “message” box.
      6. OPTIONAL: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

    • Recommended Additional Readings
    • url icon
      A Deep Look into the Biology and Evolution of COVID-19 URL

      Watch the video from 9:00 to 11:15. (3 minutes)

      UC San Diego

    • Module 4: Lesson 2: Epidemiologic Surveillance for Pandemics

      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Recognize the importance and benefit of routine public health surveillance before, during, and after pandemics, and how they contribute to early warning to facilitate infection control and reduce morbidity and mortality.
      • Indicate the most common surveillance methods and investigation strategies that were implemented for different pandemics.
      • Evaluate the successes and shortcomings of previously implemented epidemiologic surveillance methods and strategies for pandemic prevention and control at the individual, local, national, and international levels.

      Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 3 hours and 9 minutes.

      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • url icon
      Introduction to Public Health Surveillance URL
      Students must
      View

      Watch the video under the heading "Webinar" from time 7:15 to 14:00. (7 minutes)

      Center for Disease Control and Prevention

    • url icon
      Public Health Surveillance Systems: Recent Advances in Their Use and Evaluation URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Introduction", "The Use of Surveillance Systems", "Opportunities to Enhance the Effectiveness of Surveillance Systems", and "Conclusions". (29 minutes)

      Annual Review of Public Health

    • url icon
      Surveillance strategies for COVID-19 human infection URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Essential surveillance for COVID-19" and Table 1. Type of Surveillance and Surveillance Sites for COVID-19 on pages 2-4. (10 minutes)

      World Health Organization

    • url icon
      Genomic Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 Variants URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire webpage. (8 minutes)

      Center for Disease Control and Prevention

    • url icon
      Epidemiologic surveillance for controlling Covid-19 pandemic: types, challenges and implications URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the content under the heading "Introduction", "Results", and "Conclusion". (33 minutes)

      Journal of Infection and Public Health

    • quiz icon
      Quiz: Module 4

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.

      Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Module 3 is marked complete