CDC to resume collection of COVID-19 data in the U.S.

By Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSNAug 23 2020

The United States government is calling all hospitals to report new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and report key coronavirus statistics to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This comes after the move from the Trump administration in July, ordering hospitals to report data to a central database in Washington.

Now, the CDC is working to build a revolutionary new data system for COVID-19 hospital data collection, which will help collate all relevant data about the pandemic that has infected more than 5.7 million and claimed over 176,000 lives in the U.S.

However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has denied the move to revert the reporting to CDC, citing that they are working with the health agency to assist in data collection.

Image Credit: Lipik Stock Media / Shutterstock

Hospital data system

In July, the Trump administration mandated all hospitals to report relevant data on new COVID-19 cases to a central database in Washington. The move by the government received criticism from medical experts and public health groups.

Weeks after the change of data handling for COVID-19, lawmakers demand answers on the reporting change. Due to inconsistencies in the data being reported, the lawmakers urge the Trump administration to reverse the decision to divert COVID-19 data away from the CDC.

“We urge you to reverse this decision, restore this data collection role to the CDC, and take all necessary steps to ensure that essential data is collected and publicly reported free from political interference,” the Chairs wrote.

“We are concerned that this decision may represent yet another example of the Administration’s continuing politicization of public health during the coronavirus pandemic,” they added.

On July 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) directed hospitals to stop reporting coronavirus hospitalization data to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) site, which was used to report data on infectious disease hospitalizations for more than a decade. Effective July 15, all hospital data regarding COVID-19 cases were directed through TeleTracking Technologies, a private company that has signed a $10 million contract in April 2020.

The lawmakers emphasized that the technology used by the private company does not appear to be more advanced than what the CDC has used for years.

“Like NHSN, the new database relies on manual data entry with inherent reporting delays, as opposed to the automatic reporting technology that experts have called for. Experts have also raised concerns that HHS does not have the same expertise as CDC in analyzing and reporting this type of critical data,” the lawmakers said.

Back to the CDC

Now, the HHS has reversed its decision to change the way hospitals report critical information about COVID-19 cases to the government. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, announced that the current system under which hospitals report new cases is “solely an interim system” and that the reporting would soon go back to the CDC.

Birx added that they are working with the CDC to build a revolutionary new data system for COVID-19 monitoring in the U.S.

However, the HHS has recently denied the article, according to an update by Gizmodo, saying it is bringing the responsibility back to the CDC. The data collection system will still be processed through HHS, while the CDC’s involvement will be limited to the development of an automated reporting process to ease the burden of daily reporting by hospitals.

Further, the HHS spokesperson did not respond to why Birx said that the data reporting decision would be reversed and given back to the CDC.

Coronavirus global toll

The global coronavirus toll has now reached more than 23.35 million cases, with more than 807,000 people who have died from the infection. With the skyrocketing cases in the United States, Brazil, and India, along with other South American countries, the cases are still expected to rise in the coming weeks.

Brazil and India report high infection cases, with more than 3.6 million and 3 million cases, respectively. Other countries with a high number of confirmed cases include Russia, with more than 954,000 cases, South Africa, with at least 609,000 cases, Peru, with more than 585,000 cases, and Mexico, with more than 560,000 cases.

From all the confirmed cases, more than 15 million people have already recovered.