Mpox 2024 - Revisit Curation Strategy/Sourcing Strategy

[JacqSauer]

As @aimeehan1 mentioned in one of our recent curator calls, we have updated our mpox sourcing strategy. In the source list tab in our spreadsheet, the sources are numbered in the order that curators are expected to check during their shift. Please be mindful that there are sub-sources (i.e., 1a, 1b, 1c) that also need to be checked below the "regional and global organizations".

Since the sourcing strategy has been updated (i.e., our primary source is now the WHO dashboard), it might be helpful to review our curation strategy for mpox. This includes which source(s) totals we want our line list to match, clear definitions of suspected vs discarded cases, etc.

An example of clarification: we are using the WHO dashboard as our primary source, yet these numbers/totals don't always match what our original primary source (ACDC) reports. We have clarified the need to rely on the WHO dashboard for some countries, but should we update this need to reflect all countries? Then, would we start citing the ACDC as a secondary source for more detailed information such as a more clear date of confirmation, symptoms, and/or location information?

We see a discrepancy in the definition between sources about suspected and discarded cases (see #55 ) and this has lead to an increase in our total case counts reported and is not always accurate. This may be helpful in ensuring that all curators are on the same page!