Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in December
2019 and continues to spread worldwide. Rapid and accurate identification of suspected
cases is critical in slowing spread of the virus that causes the disease. We aimed to highlight
discrepancies in the various criteria used by international agencies and highly impacted
individual countries around the world. Methods We reviewed the criteria for identifying a
suspected case of COVID-19 used by two international public health agencies and 10 …

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in December
2019 and is spreading rapidly. Rapid and accurate identification of suspected cases is
critical in suppressing viral spread. We aimed to highlight the discrepancies in the varying
criteria used by international agencies and highly impacted individual countries worldwide.
Methods: The criteria from two international agencies and ten countries across Asia, Europe,
and North America were reviewed. Each included information on the clinical causes of …