Nehalennia: a new agent-based model for efficient and effective respiratory virus surveillance

Diagnostic testing and genetic sequencing are essential for respiratory virus surveillance and pandemic preparedness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, surveillance capacity was expanded to tens of thousands of samples per day. As these surveillance efforts wane, it is important to determine what levels of testing and sequencing are needed to efficiently detect an incipient pandemic and track its spread. Determining these levels is crucial for policy development, efficient allocation of resources and effectiveness of the Dutch surveillance system.