1. What is being done in your country considering the management of “long COVID”, specifically:

• Is your country collecting data/conducting studies (e.g. surveillance) on long COVID? If so, please describe how this is done (e.g. data collection, study design, organisational/legal aspects…).
• Which guidelines/recommendations (national or international) is your country following considering the definition, diagnosis and treatment of long COVID?

2. Is wearing masks outdoors mandatory in your country?

• If yes, in which settings is wearing masks outdoors mandatory?

What is your vaccination strategy?

• Which products are used for which age groups?
• Is data on the effectiveness of vaccines already available in your country?
• Does your country plan or already started studies to assess the effectiveness of the corona vaccinations (case-control studies in the roll out phase)? If yes, please share further information.
• Is or will someone be working on a synthesis/summary of the data on vaccine effectiveness that is available from each country.

1. Mental Health

There are many reports pointing out the urgency of tackling mental health COVID-19 related cases. What are the main measures that MS are putting in place or planning to do so during 2021?

2. Self-tests

Has your country implemented self-tests carried out at home as a prerequisite for access to certain services/locations? (e.g. in order to go shopping or to be able to use services of daily living, such as visits to the hairdresser, etc.)

If yes,

• What conditions must be met in your country for self-tests carried out at home to be recognised by the authorities?
• Can or must the test results be passed on to e.g. authorities? If so, how is this done?
• Are there differences in the recognition of test results along the test procedures (e.g. rapid antigen test vs. PCR test) or brand-specific test parameters (sensitivity/specificity)?
• How long are the test results recognised by the authorities in your country (e.g. 24 hours/ 48 hours etc.) 

3. AstraZeneca

Did your country stop the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine or not? (Yes/No)

What types of variants occurred in your country?

• What is the percentage of the variants of infections?
• Has your country implemented specific regulations concerning isolation/quarantine or testing for people who are (or are suspected to be) infected with a variant of concern and/or their contacts? (e.g. longer isolation/quarantine; additional testing)

Concurrent with the 7th Rapid Exchange Forum, the first Special Edition REF took place. To avoid duplication of work, we believe it is highly relevant to be aware of other international activities, mechanisms and expert groups already in place, or established during the pancemic, which exchange information on population health developments that require rapid action. 

To shed light on such activities, REF Special Editions invite key guests from relevant international organisations to report on their main activities, boards/expert groups, and different COVID-19 actions. 

The guest speakers for the first Special Edition REF were:

• Eurostat – Giampaolo Lanzieri
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – Gaetan Lafortune
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) – Howard Needham
• The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (OBS) – Marina Karanikolos

Is there any reduction in infection rates in vaccinated persons already visible?

Protocols/procedures in moribund COVID-19 patients

• Are there specific protocols or procedures for the treatment of moribund COVID-19 patients all the way through death and burial available in your country? If yes, what kind of protocols or procedures are in place/available?

1. (Regional) risk classification or traffic light systems

• Which indicators and thresholds are used in order to change the risk level/class or traffic light of the systems?
  We are particularly interested in threshold values and/or ranges of incidences.

2. Measures around Christmas holidays

• Have any measures been taken before winter/Christmas to better prepare the Healthcare system for the 3rd wave?
  (e.g. new beds/infrastructure/hiring new people)

Are Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) being used to:

• Find more cases to ask to isolate?
• Allow pepole who test negative to do things which otherwise would not be allowed e.g. fly, visit care homes and hospitals, reduce isolation duration?

Updates on country strategies regarding Rapid Antigen Tests and overall diagnostic strategy