How have COVID‐19 stringency measures changed scholarly activity?. Issue 1 (21st March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Caudwell, Kim M.; Soranzo, Alessandro; Lim, Lee Wei; Aquili, Luca
• Is Part Of: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Volume 1513:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 5
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2022-03-21
• Subjects: COVID‐19 -- research productivity -- scientists -- global burden of disease -- government restrictions; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14767
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0077-8923

Abstract

Abstract: Government restrictions to the movement of people due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have had a wide range of effects on scientific activity. Here, we show that during the pandemic there has been a reduction in the number of registered non‐COVID‐19 clinical trials. Furthermore, using the Oxford COVID‐19 Government Response Tracker Stringency Index (SI) as an indicator of COVID‐19–related workplace adjustment (e.g., restrictions on gatherings, workplace closures, and stay‐at‐home orders), we demonstrate that this drop in clinical trial registration has been greater in countries with a higher SI. This could have significant consequences for the discovery of treatments that are required to reduce the global burden of disease. Abstract : Government restrictions to the movement of people due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have had a wide range of effects on scientific activity. Here we show that during the pandemic, there has been a reduction in the number of registered non‐COVID‐19 clinical trials, which could have significant consequences for the discovery of treatments that are required to reduce the global burden of disease.