JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH Post et al Original Paper A SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance System in Sub-Saharan Africa: Modeling Study for Persistence and Transmission to Inform Policy Lori Ann Post1, PhD; Salem T Argaw2, BA; Cameron Jones3, MPH, MD; Charles B Moss4, PhD; Danielle Resnick5, PhD; Lauren Nadya Singh1, MPH; Robert Leo Murphy6, MD; Chad J Achenbach3, MD; Janine White1, MSc; Tariq Ziad Issa2, BA; Michael J Boctor2, BSc; James Francis Oehmke1, PhD 1Buehler Center for Health Policy & Economics and Departments of Emergency Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States 2Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States 3Division of Infectious Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States 4Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States 5International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States 6Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States Corresponding Author: Lori Ann Post, PhD Buehler Center for Health Policy & Economics and Departments of Emergency Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University 750 N Lake Shore Dr 9th Floor, Suite 9-9035 Rubloff Building Chicago, IL, 60611 United States Phone: 1 203 980 7107 Email:
[email protected] Abstract Background: Since the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019, the scientific and public health community around the world have sought to better understand, surveil, treat, and prevent the disease, COVID-19. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), many countries responded aggressively and decisively with lockdown measures and border closures. Such actions may have helped prevent large outbreaks throughout much of the region, though there is substantial variation in caseloads and mortality between nations.