Nepal COVID-19 Surveillance System – Nepal Research and Education Network

COVID-19, the pandemic has been proving itself one of the strongest threats to humankind. Nepal has reported the first case on June 23 and luckily the infected patient has recovered. Later on, few cases have reported. Nevertheless, it is an immediate demand to collaborate with all stakeholders to fight against the COVID-19 to save humankind. Therefore, Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) along with other organizations such as Public Health Concern Trust Nepal (Phect-Nepal), Innovative Solutions (InSol), iClick, Nepal Disaster and Emergency Medicine Center (NADEM), Innovative Data Solutions (IDS), and Center for Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) worked together for conceptualizing the idea for building the integrated system to fight against the COVID-19. This is one of the most innovative approaches to track possible infections and efficient management.

The COVID19 Surveillance system is developed in accordance with the most common symptoms that have seen across the infected patients and assesses the level of severity. In some cases, the symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu in early-stage, nevertheless, with appropriate triage self-assessment tool, the surveillance system suggests the individual for the possibility of contraction as well as the actions to be made. The system asks the individual to assess triage self-assessment thrice a day and records all assessments and continuously checks whether the individual assessment changes the level of severity. If the assessment score is 15.6 to 19.3 even though the system’s message is “less likely chance of COVID-19”, an immediate call will be made from the doctor and/or assistant to guide the individual for strict self-isolation in order to prevent further contraction to nearest, dearest and others. This is necessary to make the preventive measure and suggest an individual for the isolation for a certain period. There will be frequent tracking via short messaging as well as call in order to assist and comfort their possible panic situation and psychological impacts. If the triage self-assessment result is more than 19.4 then the immediate call will be made as well as a rapid rescue team equipped with PPE will be sent to transfer to the hospital or nearby facility and throat as well as nasal swab will be taken for the test.

The system continuously monitors the information provided by the individual. It is a highly sophisticated system integrated with a geographical information system (GIS) applications, backed by the medical team, local quarantine management team, stand-by ambulance, local government, and social volunteers.

After a series of discussions with local governments, this system will be expanded across the nation. Nevertheless, the team involved in the development, as well as implementation of this system, are seriously concerned about the duplication of resources to fight against the COVID-19 effectively.

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