<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Françoise Renard</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aline Scohy</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Johan Van der Heyden</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ilse Peeters</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sara Dequeker</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Eline Vandael</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nina Van Goethem</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dominique Dubourg</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Louise De Viron</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anne Kongs</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Naïma Hammami</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Brecht Devleesschauwer</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">André Sasse</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Javiera Rebolledo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Natalia Bustos Sierra</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Establishing an ad hoc COVID-19 mortality surveillance during the first epidemic wave in Belgium, 1 March to 21 June 2020</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Eurosurveillance</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2021</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Feb-12-2021</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">26</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;Background :&amp;nbsp;COVID-19-related mortality in Belgium has drawn attention for two reasons: its high level, and a good completeness in reporting of deaths. An ad hoc surveillance was established to register COVID-19 death numbers in hospitals, long-term care facilities (LTCF) and the community. Belgium adopted broad inclusion criteria for the COVID-19 death notifications, also including possible cases, resulting in a robust correlation between COVID-19 and all-cause mortality.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Aim :&amp;nbsp;To document and assess the COVID-19 mortality surveillance in Belgium.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Methods :&amp;nbsp;We described the content and data flows of the registration and we assessed the situation as of 21 June 2020, 103 days after the first death attributable to COVID-19 in Belgium. We calculated the participation rate, the notification delay, the percentage of error detected, and the results of additional investigations.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Results :&amp;nbsp;The participation rate was 100% for hospitals and 83% for nursing homes. Of all deaths, 85% were recorded within 2 calendar days: 11% within the same day, 41% after 1 day and 33% after 2 days, with a quicker notification in hospitals than in LTCF. Corrections of detected errors reduced the death toll by 5%.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Conclusion :&amp;nbsp;Belgium implemented a rather complete surveillance of COVID-19 mortality, on account of a rapid investment of the hospitals and LTCF. LTCF could build on past experience of previous surveys and surveillance activities. The adoption of an extended definition of ‘COVID-19-related deaths’ in a context of limited testing capacity has provided timely information about the severity of the epidemic.&lt;/p&gt;
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