What is it about?

COVID-19 reinfection cases in Liberia highlight the importance of improving disease surveillance to better understand the prevalence and transmission of the virus. By identifying individuals infected with COVID-19 previously, health officials can track the potential for reinfection and monitor any changes in the virus over time.

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Why is it important?

Our study shows that improved disease surveillance can help identify emerging hotspots and prioritize testing, tracing, and vaccination efforts. By monitoring trends in infection rates, officials can determine which areas are most at risk and allocate resources accordingly. Additionally, by improving disease surveillance, health officials can identify potential gaps in prevention and control measures and take proactive steps to address them. For example, suppose many reinfection cases are identified in a particular region. In that case, officials may need to consider implementing additional prevention measures, such as enhanced testing, contact tracing, and isolation protocols.

Perspectives

Writing this article was a great pleasure as it has co-authors with whom I have had long-standing collaborations. This article also led to improved identification of COVID-19 hotspots and vaccination efforts in the country, which are crucial for effective COVID-19 control and prevention efforts.

Godwin Akpan
African Field Epidemiology Network

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This page is a summary of: COVID-19 reinfection in Liberia: Implication for improving disease surveillance, PLoS ONE, March 2022, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265768.
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