Mortality surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic

This editorial emphasizes that, during an epidemic, rapid mortality surveillance provides essential information to formulate an evidence-based response. Enumeration of all deaths, when compared to historically expected mortality, produces a picture of excess death, capturing both the direct burden of the epidemic and its indirect mortality burden, caused by disruptions to the access, use and provision of health care services. Rapid mortality surveillance can provide policymakers with up-to-date information about the epidemic’s spread into new areas or previously unaffected populations, and about the effectiveness of prevention and response strategies. Countries need real-time awareness of the distribution and magnitude of all direct and indirect health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Establishing, scaling and improving upon rapid mortality surveillance would contribute to fulfilling this need, as well as preparing for future outbreaks.