Reporting Delays
Note
This page is under development.
What it is
Why it happens
- Lab confirmation requirements
- Electronic vs manual reporting differences
- Weekend and holiday effects (fewer reports filed on weekends, lab closures)
- Holiday periods (extended closures affect both reporting and care-seeking)
- Delays may shorten as reporting improves or lengthen when systems are under strain
How it affects analysis
- High variability in count data can make delay patterns harder to estimate
- Seasonal patterns in disease incidence interact with delay patterns
- Day-of-week effects appear in both disease incidence and reporting