Overview of the programme

CoughWatchSA is a programme digital participatory surveillance platform launched by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) as of 9 March 2022. This year we would like to continue the success of the 2025 season. This platform is open to all South African residents who are 18 years and older. Participants in this programme are requested to report data on symptoms related to influenza-like illness. In addition to this, demographic data, lifestyle factors, underlying medical conditions and vaccination status for seasonal influenza are captured. We use this data to estimate the circulating respiratory viruses directly in the community.

Benefits of participating

In South Africa, 75% of symptomatic influenza-like illnesses are non-medically attended. Access to primary health care facilities are not equally distributed nor accessible in all parts of the country. Testing capacity is limited as is in many Lower-Middle-Income-Countries (LMICs). All of these may potentially lead to a gross underestimation of the community burden of respiratory illness. CoughWatchSA allows us to collect systematic data on non-medically attended cases of influenza-like illness. This includes vaccination coverage for seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.

Call-to-action to join the programme

CoughWatchSA is open to all South African residents in all provinces. The long-term aim of this programme is an early warning system for outbreaks of influenza-like like illness, to determine the early onset of the influenza season and assist the public health community to respond earlier with interventions and mitigation strategies for outbreaks. Join us and report on a weekly basis to improve surveillance efforts for respiratory illness in South Africa.

Participate

Help us keep an eye on influenza. Report weekly whether you have any symptoms.