Emergence of a Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Protocol for Extending Surveillance Used by the Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre and Public Health England

General Practice (GP) clinical system providers have introduced an emergency new set of clinical codes to support COVID-19 surveillance. Additionally, practices participating in current virology surveillance are now taking samples for COVID-19 surveillance from low risk patients presenting with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Within the first two weeks of set up of this surveillance, we have identified 3 cases; one through the new coding system, the other two through the extended virology sampling.