JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Public health surveillance plays a vital role in informing public health decision making. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 caused a widespread shift in public health priorities. Global efforts focused on COVID-19 monitoring and contact tracing. Existing public health programs were interrupted due to physical distancing measures and re-allocation of resources. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic intersected with advancements in technologies that have the potential to support public health surveillance efforts. This scoping review explores emergent public health surveillance methods during the early COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 241 articles describing novel surveillance methods and changes to surveillance methods are included. This literature was dominated by applications of digital surveillance, for example by using Big Data through mobility tracking and infodemiology. Wastewater surveillance was also heavily represented. Other articles described adaptations to programs that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as remote screening via videoconferencing. The scoping search also found 109 articles that discuss the ethical, legal, security and equity implications of emerging surveillance methods. While the pandemic accelerated advancements in surveillance, there is a need for cautious consideration of potential harms in implementing these methods.