The evolving epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2
Catherine M. Bennett
A * and Hassan Vally A
A
Prof. Catherine Bennett is the Chair in Epidemiology at Deakin University, and her background is in microbiology, genetics, applied statistics and infectious disease epidemiology. She has experience in outbreak preparedness and response with NSW Health and the Australian Government. Her research includes antibiotic resistance, community transmission and excess deaths and pathology service access in the pandemic, and Long COVID diagnosis and treatment pathways. Catherine is a prominent public analyst and science communicator, keynote speaker, and advisor to industry, governments and institutions globally. |
Assoc. Prof. Hassan Vally is an epidemiologist with considerable experience in both academia and in government. He has expertise in the analysis and interpretation of health data, and in the understanding and critiquing of evidence in the health domain. He has background in a number of disciplines in addition to epidemiology, including molecular biology, virology and immunology. Dr Vally is an expert in risk and risk communication and has been involved in consulting for both the State and Federal Governments as well as the World Health Organization. In recent years, Dr Vally has been heavily involved in science communication and has been actively involved in media engagement. |
Abstract
Pandemics usually start with a bang following the emergence of a new pathogen that is both sufficiently infectious and virulent to pose a substantial threat and warrant an emergency response. The very fact that a pandemic involves a new or substantially changed infectious agent means the initial response is hampered by limited epidemiological data and a large amount of uncertainty. It was in this context that COVID-19 infections spiralled in many countries in early 2020, overwhelming health systems and driving excess mortality. Without reliable data it was initially unclear who was most at risk of, and from, infection, or of transmitting the virus to others. Over the course of the pandemic global research efforts have gradually pieced together the complex epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections and longer-term sequelae, but there is still much work to be done. The situation also continues to evolve as the virus mutates, public health responses change, effective treatments become available, and population level immunity is acquired and matures. Although the onset of a pandemic is usually explosive and undisputed, the end is rarely as dramatic or as certain. Tracking the changing epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in the transition from pandemic to endemic is essential and remains a significant task.
Keywords: COVID-19, disease control, epidemiology, infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, public health, SARS-CoV-2.
Prof. Catherine Bennett is the Chair in Epidemiology at Deakin University, and her background is in microbiology, genetics, applied statistics and infectious disease epidemiology. She has experience in outbreak preparedness and response with NSW Health and the Australian Government. Her research includes antibiotic resistance, community transmission and excess deaths and pathology service access in the pandemic, and Long COVID diagnosis and treatment pathways. Catherine is a prominent public analyst and science communicator, keynote speaker, and advisor to industry, governments and institutions globally. |
Assoc. Prof. Hassan Vally is an epidemiologist with considerable experience in both academia and in government. He has expertise in the analysis and interpretation of health data, and in the understanding and critiquing of evidence in the health domain. He has background in a number of disciplines in addition to epidemiology, including molecular biology, virology and immunology. Dr Vally is an expert in risk and risk communication and has been involved in consulting for both the State and Federal Governments as well as the World Health Organization. In recent years, Dr Vally has been heavily involved in science communication and has been actively involved in media engagement. |
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