July 30, 2020

Excess Cases of Influenza and the Coronavirus Epidemic in Catalonia: A Time-Series Analysis of Primary-Care Electronic Medical Records Covering over 6 Million People

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

• In a time-series study of influenza and COVID-19 cases in Spain, Coma Redon et al. found that COVID-19 cases may have already been present in the Catalan population when the first imported case was reported on February 25, 2020. The authors suggest that COVID-19 carriers may have been misclassified as influenza diagnoses in primary care, boosting community transmission before public health measures were taken.  

Coma Redon et al. (July 29, 2020). Excess Cases of Influenza and the Coronavirus Epidemic in Catalonia: A Time-Series Analysis of Primary-Care Electronic Medical Records Covering over 6 Million People. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039369