The Defense Health Agency https://www.health.mil/DHA supports the military services and the Military Health System by monitoring the spread of health outbreaks as in the case of COVID-19. The “Alert and Response Ops” group within the Integrated Biosurveillance section of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB), uses the “Disease Reporting System internet” (DRSi) to track and report information on COVID-19 daily.
AFHSB also conducts daily surveillance using the “Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). The ESSENCE team has developed a dashboard to monitor information from EHRs in order to detect clinical activity that suspects or finds cases of COVID-19 in beneficiary populations’ at all military treatment facilities. The system also alerts public health officials on potential disease outbreaks and epidemics.
“The COVID-19 time series graphs from ESSENCE are shared by combatant commands through the joint staff” reports Juan Ubiera, Chief of Integrated Biosurveillance. “AFHSB has also created a mailbox for questions related to the COVID-19 dashboard.”
DOD Consolidated Influenza Surveillance Report is issued weekly. According to Navy Commander (Dr) Shawn Clausen, AFHSB’s Epidemiology and Analysis Chief, “We are reviewing guidance form CDC and the World health Organization to determine the feasibility and value of producing a weekly COVID-19 report if the pandemic continues.”
DHA has a Crisis Team in place that is dealing 24/7 with patient concerns, patient care, equipment needed, and monitoring blood supplies. The agency is looking at issues such as bed space, military health capabilities and capacity, how to best assist people with self-screening, and how to best triage and test patients.