At the request of the Slovenian National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), ECDC designed and facilitated an After-Action review (AAR), focusing on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ECDC initiated a survey of EU/EEA countries to evaluate preparedness planning and risk mitigation initiatives implemented at the country level for people exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A(H5N1).
The aim of this survey was to review the expertise, capabilities and capacities for detection and characterisation of avian and other zoonotic influenza viruses in national influenza reference laboratories in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), in members of the European Reference Laboratories for influenza (ERLINet), and in EU Enlargement policy countries.
This report is based on the findings from two focused After-Action reviews (AARs) in Norway and Georgia that discussed the use of evidence in the advice-making process for long-term care facilities (LTCFs) during the start of the COVID-19 Omicron wave in early 2022.
This after-action review (AAR) investigates the use of evidence in Sweden’s advice-making process for distance learning during the period November 2020 to April 2021 (the focus period) in response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animals is continually evolving. To date, animal species known to transmit SARS-CoV-2 are American mink, raccoon dog, cat, ferret, hamster, house mouse, Egyptian fruit bat, deer mouse and white-tailed deer. Among farmed animals, American mink have the highest likelihood to become infected from humans or animals and further transmit SARS-CoV-2.
The risk to public health posed by the spread of the Omicron VOC in the context of ongoing Delta VOC transmission in the EU/EEA is assessed in this update.
The number of countries reporting SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VOC) cases continues to increase globally, with a total of 352 confirmed cases reported by 27 countries as of 16.00 on 1 December 2021, including 70 confirmed cases reported by 13 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries.
A SARS-CoV-2 variant belonging to Pango lineage B.1.1.529, with a high number of S-gene mutations compared to the original virus was detected at the beginning of November 2021. On 26 November 2021 the variant was designated a variant of concern (VOC) and assigned the label Omicron by the World Health Organization (WHO).