NSSP Update – May 2023

NSSP Update

A Technical Newsletter for the NSSP Community of Practice | May 2023

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program issues NSSP Update monthly to share the latest Community of Practice activities, technical and program updates, and ways in which syndromic surveillance is improving public health.

CDC Transition to Routine Surveillance of COVID-19

MMWR

CDC Transition to Routine Surveillance of COVID-19

Two complementary MMWRs inform our strategy for monitoring COVID-19 and show that we’re using suitable, timely indicators of disease activity.

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COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE UPDATES

Meeting Highlights

Group Updates ▪ Site-level Respiratory Dashboard Demo ▪ Post-COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Discussion ▪ Reminders and Announcements

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SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE IN ACTION

Kansas Makes ED Data Part of its Weather-related Risk Assessment

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment uses emergency department (ED) data to describe the burden of injury and illness on Kansans from common weather-related hazards.

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SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE IN ACTION

Using ED Data to Improve Surveillance of West Nile Virus Disease

West Nile Virus disease can be challenging to identify. To better detect potential cases, the Florida Department of Health compared reported case data to emergency department (ED) chief complaints and discharge diagnoses.

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NSSP WEBSITE

New to Syndromic Surveillance?

For new site admins, we have a job aid for easing into your new role. New staff? Read “Tips for Engaging Staff.” New to NSSP? Check out these resources to learn about syndromic surveillance, especially the new training series titled Introduction to Syndromic Surveillance Methodology.

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DATA QUALITY CORNER

How does this year’s data compare?

Make sure your calculations for queries, filters, and APIs are updated each year.

Jan 2022 ESSENCE Word Cloud

Monthly National-level Free-text ESSENCE Queries

Analysts can exercise a high level of customization by using free-text queries. They can quickly code free-text queries and rapidly respond to outbreaks, disasters, and health events that unfold. These word clouds capture free-text queries from a national perspective.

Jan 2022 ESSENCE Word Cloud

Developing Syndrome Definitions

NSSP works with health departments, CDC programs, and others to develop and improve syndrome definitions. Here is a list of the syndromes being worked on now.

Mark Your Calendar

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The NSSP CoP Call Calendar lists the monthly NSSP Community of Practice call and subcommittee/group meetings. The CoP Call Calendar is maintained by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).
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The monthly patching schedule for Testing/Development and Onboarding/Production environments is posted in Technical Updates.