Sharing COVID-19 Epidemiology Data

            
RDA COVID-19 Epidemiology 

            
Group Co-chair Liaison:  Priyanka Pillai

Subgroup Moderators:  Claire Austin,  Rajini Nagrani

            
Recommendation title:  Sharing COVID-19 Epidemiology Data

       
Authors: RDA COVID-19 Epidemiology WG

            
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15497/rda00049

            
Date last updated: 4th November 2020
Citation:  RDA COVID-19 Epidemiology WG (2020): Sharing COVID-19 Epidemiology Data, Version 1.0.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.15497/rda00049

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the individuals identified, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their respective employers, or of any government agency or organisation.

 
Abstract
An immediate understanding of the COVID-19 disease epidemiology is crucial to slowing infections, minimizing deaths, and making informed decisions about when, and to what extent, to impose mitigation measures, and when and how to reopen society.
Despite our need for evidence based policies and medical decision making, there is no international standard or coordinated system for collecting, documenting, and disseminating COVID-19 related data and metadata, making their use and reuse for timely epidemiological analysis challenging due to issues with documentation, interoperability, completeness, methodological heterogeneity, and data quality.
There is a pressing need for a coordinated global system encompassing preparedness, early detection, and rapid response to newly emergent threats such as SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID- 19 disease that it causes.
The intended audience for the epidemiology recommendations and guidelines are government and international agencies, policy and decision makers, epidemiologists and public health experts, disaster preparedness and response experts, funders, data providers, teachers, researchers, clinicians, and other potential users.