Frontiers in Public Health (Apr 2024)

Translating the COVID-19 epidemiological situation into policies and measures: the Belgian experience

  • Géraldine De Muylder,
  • Valeska Laisnez,
  • Giulietta Stefani,
  • Caroline Boulouffe,
  • Christel Faes,
  • Naïma Hammami,
  • Pierre Hubin,
  • Geert Molenberghs,
  • Geert Molenberghs,
  • Jasper Sans,
  • Cecile van de Konijnenburg,
  • Stefaan Van der Borght,
  • Ruben Brondeel,
  • Jorgen Stassijns,
  • Tinne Lernout

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1306361
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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The COVID-19 pandemic led to sustained surveillance efforts, which made unprecedented volumes and types of data available. In Belgium, these data were used to conduct a targeted and regular assessment of the epidemiological situation. In addition, management tools were developed, incorporating key indicators and thresholds, to define risk levels and offer guidance to policy makers. Categorizing risk into various levels provided a stable framework to monitor the COVID-19 epidemiological situation and allowed for clear communication to authorities. Although translating risk levels into specific public health measures has remained challenging, this experience was foundational for future evaluation of the situation for respiratory infections in general, which, in Belgium, is now based on a management tool combining different data sources.

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