Researchers at the University of Calgary are spearheading a national surveillance initiative to track respiratory virus trends among Canadian children receiving hospital care.
The SPRINT-Kids program, encompassing 15 pediatric hospitals across eight provinces, monitors infectious diseases such as RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 while also assessing vaccine effectiveness and adverse reactions.
Data collected for the Public Health Agency of Canada is reported weekly, offering insights into active infections, risk factors, transmission patterns, and regional hotspots. Dr. Stephen Freedman, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, describes the program as a sentinel warning system that helps detect virus surges across the country.
Following the expiration of a previous pediatric surveillance contract, the University of Calgary team was federally contracted to take over and expand the initiative. The enhanced system now includes emergency room data, broadening its scope beyond hospital admissions.
“Over 90 percent of children seeking emergency care are discharged home. We aim to understand the broader community impact,” Freedman said.
The surveillance system collects comprehensive data on symptoms, illness severity, vaccination status, treatment, and patient outcomes. Tracking virus progression from coast to coast, it aids hospital staffing, capacity planning, and public health decision-making.
The program also provides parents with real-time information on circulating viruses and reinforces the importance of vaccination. Additionally, it is equipped to monitor emerging threats such as H5N1 avian flu and mycoplasma pneumoniae, which saw a surge in cases last year.
By integrating emergency department data and expanding its surveillance capabilities, the initiative offers a more detailed understanding of respiratory illnesses affecting Canadian children. Freedman anticipates the team’s findings will be featured in the federal government’s weekly respiratory virus surveillance report and on the SPRINT-Kids website in the coming months.
Source: Swifteradio.com
