Covid-19: research methods must be flexible in a crisis
BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2668 (Published 06 July 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m2668
All rapid responses
Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed. Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles. The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not including references and author details. We will no longer post responses that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
The ‘Rapidly Dynamically Transmuting Specifics’ concerning the ‘Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)’ and the ‘Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ create the ‘Information Lacunae’ and ‘Specifics Gaps’ which, in an ‘Intricate Dyadic Intertwined Interface’, constitute the ‘Reactive Impetus’ to seek the ‘Missing-Hidden Facts’. The plethora of ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Controversies and Unresolved Issues’ was ventilated in a previous ‘Communication’ [1]! This, together with the ‘Intense Information-seeking Drive’, generates the ‘Thrust’ for the ‘COVID-19 Research’ which is currently a very busy enterprise attempting to dig and unearth ‘Relevant and Appropriate Scientific Information/ Solutions’ to address the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’! The rush to match the ‘Rapidly Dynamically Transmuting Pandemic Specifics’ has resulted in an ‘Avalanche of COVID-19 Research Outpourings’ which, quite unfortunately and circumstantially, have been adjudged to come short of ‘Best Practices’ in STRICT COMPLIANCE with the ‘Robust Pillars of Research Governance’ and the ‘Stiff Principles of Data Governance’!! The ‘COVID-19 Research Outputs/ Data’ have thus been reported as ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’ as several of them are below par with STRICT APPLICATION of ‘Research Governance Robust Pillars’ and ‘Data Governance Strong Principles’ [2-6]!!!
A recent ‘Communication’ criticized the STRICT ADHERENCE to the ‘Robust Tested Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Conventional Data Governance Principles’ given that the World is going through ‘Extraordinary Crisis’ and Research Institutions are facing ‘Unprecedented Challenges’ and the desired ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Interventions’ must be timeously disposed and discharged [7]! It is suggested that in these ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Trying and Difficult Circumstances’, SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED yet INNOVATIVE APPROACHES but with STRICT ADHERENCE to STANDARDS should be explored and accepted for solving ‘Scientific Problems’ such as the current ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ and the stimulated ‘COVID-19 Research’ [7]!! Obviously, there are DIFFICULTIES inherent in this ‘Communicated Suggestion’!! What is ‘SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED’ situate with ‘Robust Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Data Governance Principles’? How, in fact, can these be juxtaposed and hybridized with the suggested concomitant ‘STRICT ADHERENCE’ to the same known and tested ‘RESEARCH STANDARDS’? It is further stated that, while the ‘Communicated Suggestions/ Recommendations’ are ‘NOT STANDARD’, they could possibly ‘TACKLE’ the ‘Scientific Problems with Precision’ [7]!!
The ’Communication’ further suggests that it is not feasible to STRICTLY ADHERE to the ‘RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY-BASED RESEARCH’ given the Crisis, Cases and Deaths in this ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’ and posits that there are ‘EXCELLENT WAYS’ of harvesting and sharing ‘Novel Findings/ Information’ to the Scientific Community in the shortest time7! Such ‘Novel Findings’ may, in fact, challenge ‘Unique and Conventional Wisdom’ in these ‘Difficult and Unusual Trying Times’ [8,9]!! We are advised to ‘OVERLOOK’ a ‘FEW SHORTCOMINGS’ in on-going ‘COVID-19 Research Methods’!! What is ‘FEW SHORTCOMINGS’? While ‘EXCELLENCE’ is a ‘UTOPIA’ even in normal climes and times, it should still be the ultimately desired ‘Terminus’ in ‘Research’ in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES to assure the emergence of the ‘Best Available Research Evidence (BARE)’!! To endorse and enthrone ‘Acceptable Quality Level in Research’ is to court ‘MEDIOCRITY’ and lay the conduit for ‘Communication of Untested and Unreliable Pseudo-Scientific Information/ Data’!! This may contribute to enlarging the dreaded pool of extant ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’: Another current ‘Unprecedented Pandemic’!!! The ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’ has been highlighted as a ‘Determinant Issue’ for ‘Interventional Focus’ if the ‘Global War’ against the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ MUST be ‘Won’ [10-12]!!! The quest for ‘Hurried COVID-19 Research’ MUST not be permitted to galvanize the enlargement of the extant ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’!!!
In a very curious stance, the ‘Communication’ [7] also calls for the ‘CALIBRATION OF EXTANT RESEARCH YARDSTICKS’ to become cognizant of ‘EXISTING AND PREVAILING SITUATIONS’ rather than being ‘FIXED TO A HOLISTIC SET OF RULES’! It MUST be re-emphasized that the ESSENCE of the ‘Robust Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Data Governance Principles’ is to GUARANTEE that ‘Research Data/ Information’ are ‘TAKEN AS GIVEN’ as the ‘Best Available Research Evidence’ for ‘Universal Applicability’, in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, having gone through the ‘Research Mill’ with ‘QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTROL’!! While ‘Inferential Conclusions’ may relate to ‘Target Populations’ from the relevant ‘Research Question, Hypothesis, Design, Execution, Analyses, Recommendations and Report/ Communication’, the ‘Index Research’ MUST pass the ‘Critical Universal/ Conventional Tests’ denominated in the ‘Robust Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Data Governance Principles’!! The ‘YARDSTICKS FOR CRITICAL SCRUTINY FOR QUALITY, RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY’ MUST NEVER be ‘CALIBRATED FOR LOCALE-REALITIES’!!!
Currently, the World is facing and ‘Fighting the War’ of ‘POLITICS’ against ‘SCIENCE, FACTS and EVIDENCE’ in the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’; For ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’, it is SCIENCE in and POLITICS out [13]! The Scientific Community will definitely court ‘Avoidable Monumental Disaster in Research’ if the ‘Research Quality Bar’ is lowered!! Governments, in these ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Trying Times’, are UNDERMINING Research and Science!! It will be untold AVOIDABLE ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ for Scientists to ALSO UNDERMINE Research and Science!! The ‘Unprecedented Rapidly Dynamically Transmuting COVID-19 Pandemic Specifics’ require an even more ‘Rapidly Dynamically Responsive Research Outpourings’ to ECLIPSE the extant ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’ BUT we MUST paradoxically ‘MAKE HASTE SLOWLY’ so we are ‘Research Governance-compliant’ and also ‘Data Governance-compliant’ in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; We MUST avoid ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’!!
The Scientific Community may need to also take a ‘Second Look’ at the ‘Research PREPRINTS’ which allow the ‘Communication and Dissemination’ of ‘Research Outpourings’ which have not been subjected to the ‘Rigorous Peer-Review Mechanism’ [8,9]! Once the ‘Preprints’ appear in the ‘Scientific Literature’, they indelibly become part of the ‘Reported-Citable Knowns’ and can influence ‘Interventional Dispositions’!! Preprints, having not undergone the ‘Peer-Review Mechanism’, are ‘Documents below Conventional Research Governance and Data Governance Par’!! This becomes more relevant and dangerous in the extant ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’!! The POTENTIALITY of the ‘Intricate Dyadic Intertwined Interface between Calibrated Research Standards and Preprints’ portends ominous ‘RESEARCH STORM’ ahead!!! The ‘Research’ is not ‘Quality Assured-Quality Controlled’ and the ‘Communicated Report’ is not a Product of ‘Peer-Review Mechanism’; This is ‘Double Jeopardy for Research’!!!
This ‘Communication’ is a ‘Contribution’ to the extant evolving ‘COVID-19 Research Waste Conversations’ and is intended to support the need to uphold the ‘Best Practices’ in Research situate with the Time-Tested and Conventional ‘Robust Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Data Governance Principles’! This is even more desired in the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’ to minimize or eclipse the extant ‘COVID 19 Infodemic’; Another ‘Difficult Pandemic’.
REFERENCES
1. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-10 of 31st March 2020
2. Clinical Trials.gov. History of changes for study. NCT04280705, 1 May 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/history/NCT04280705?A=10&B=15&C=Side-by-S....
3. Yan W. Coronavirus tests science’s need for speed limits. New York Times 2020 Apr 14. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/science/coronavirus-disinformation.html
4. Hoffmann T, Glasziou P. What if the vaccine or drugs don’t save us? Plan B for coronavirus means research on alternatives is urgently needed. The Conversation, 21 Apr 2020. https://theconversation.com/what-if-vaccine-or-drugs-dont-save-us-plan-b...
5. Glasziou PP, Sanders S, Hoffmann T. Waste in covid-19 research. BMJ 2020; 369:m1847
6. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic: The multifaceted picture of compromised COVID-19 research and the COVID Phenomenon’. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1847/rr-12 of 10th June 2020
7. Karmakar S, Dhar R, Jee B. Covid-19: research methods must be flexible in a crisis. BMJ 2020; 370:m2668
8. Conroy G. Preprints boost article citations and mentions. Nature Index 2019 Jul 9. https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/preprints-boost-article-citations-...
9. Fry NK, Marshall H, Mellins-Cohen T. In praise of preprints. Microb Genom 2019; 5:e000259. Doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000259. pmid:30938670
10. Eregie CO. COCID-19 and the quadruple-barrel tragedy: matters still evolving for the works. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2197/rr of 19th June 2020
11. Eregie CO. COVID-19 pandemic tragic octad: The evolving conceptual qualitative interventional equation to fight the pandemic. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2303/rr-9 of 24th June 2020
12. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic and the ‘Determinant Nonad’: Rekindling the imperative of the twin medical reformation interventions of ‘Multiparameter-Based Medicine (MBM)’ and ‘Medical Socioeconosophy (MSE)’. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2379/rr of 7th July 2020
13. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic, ‘COVID Phenomenon’ and the politics of the science, facts, research evidence and ‘evidence-based medicine (EBM): the imperative for rekindling the ‘multiparameter-based medicine (MBM) in the 21st Century. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1336/rr-20 of 17th April 2020
Professor Charles Osayande Eregie,
MBBS, FWACP, FMCPaed, FRCPCH (UK), Cert. ORT (Oxford), MSc (Religious Education),
Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
UNICEF-Trained BFHI Master Trainer,
ICDC-Trained in Code Implementation,
*Technical Expert/ Consultant on the FMOH-UNICEF-NAFDAC Code Implementation Project in Nigeria.
*No Competing Interests.
Competing interests: No competing interests
COVID-19 Pandemic, the quest for urgent information and soulutions and the paradox: making haste slowly to avoid ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’; time for strategic ‘COVID-19 Research Retreat for a Decad’
The ‘Unprecedented Rapidly Dynamically Transmuting Specifics’ of the ‘SARS-CoV-2’ and the ‘COVID-19’ constitute the ‘Increasingly Dominant Impetus’ for the equally ‘Rapidly Emerging Avalanche of COVID-19 Research Outputs’ in the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’! The ‘Intense Research Pressure’ in response to the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Trying Times’ begets the ‘COVID-19 Research Outpourings’ reported as ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’ [1-5]!! Some ‘Communications’ downplay ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’ and suggest the need for less STRINGENT ADHERENCE to ‘Robust Research Standards’ [6-9]!! Another recent ‘Communication’ highlights the ‘Intricate Dyadic Intertwined Interface between Suggested Calibrated Research Standards and Preprints’ to forestall ‘Scientists’ UNDERMINING ‘Science-Research Dyad’ in a ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’ already witnessing ‘Politics’ similarly UNDERMINING the same ‘Science-Research Dyad’ [10]!! Given the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Situational Realities’ and the ‘Evolving Compromised COVID-19 Research Quality’, the ‘Composite COVID-19 Research Overview’ is an imperative! There should be a ‘Forensic Research Audit’ situate with ‘Robust Research Governance Pillars’ and ‘Stiff Data Governance Principles’ to evolve a ‘Strategic COVID-19 Research Retreat for a Decad’: A critical ‘Review-Audit’ of ‘COVID-19 Research’ focusing on ’Ten Research Domains’ covering the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Facets’!! This is a ‘Clarion Call’ for ‘Research on Research’: Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, Prospective Meta-Analyses etc on ‘COVID-19 Research’ spanning the ‘Decad Domains’!! The ‘COVID-19 Research Retreat’ affords the World the ‘Unique Opportunity to Withdraw and have a Systematic-Systemic Forensic Overview and Reworking’ of ‘COVID-19 Research Output’ juxtaposed with the reported ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’ for ‘Programmatically Repositioning’ the ‘COVID-19 Research’ in proper ‘Situational Perspectives!!!
1. CORONAVIRUS (SARS-CoV-2): The ‘Novel Coronavirus Specifics’/ ‘Information in a Flux’ necessitate further ‘Information Search’ for the True Origin, Appropriate Nomenclature, Natural Biological or Artificial Agent/ ‘Conspiracy Theories’ re: Bioweapon-Economic Terrorism, True State of Human Immunity, Genetic-Genomic Diversity-Serotypes, Viral Recombination Capacity, Aerosolization-Airborne and Transmission Modes, Incubation Period, Disease Severity Determinants! Others: Coronavirus in several Body Fluids (Saliva, Faeces, Urine, Breastmilk etc) and Transmission Implications, Reproduction Rate (R Value)/ Implications, Lethality and Transmissibility, Epidemic Curve Patterns-Metrics etc [11-15]!!
2. CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19): The ‘COVID-19 Specifics’/ ‘Information in a Flux’: Appropriate Nomenclature, Susceptibility and Vulnerability/ Socio-Demographics, Body Systems Afflictions/ Presentations, Increasingly Emerging Clinical Syndromes (MicroCLOTS, MIS-C, Cytokine Storm Syndrome, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ‘Long COVID’, ‘COVID Party’ etc)! Transmission Issues: Modes, Pre-Symptomatic and Asymptomatic, International Spread and Community Spread, Silent Spreaders/ Super Spreaders, etc. Also, Reinfection and Reactivation, Immunity and Convalescent Plasma-Serum/ Antibody Therapy, Disease Severity and Antibodies Levels, Duration and Immunity/ Protection! Other Issues: Analytics, Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Holistics etc [15-24]!!
3. COVID-19 PANDEMIC: The ‘COVID-19’ as a ‘Case’, ‘Outbreaks’, then ‘PHEIC’/ 30th January 2020 and WHO-declared ‘Pandemic’/ 11th March 2020! Further ‘Issues’: ‘Information Search’ to undergird ‘Lessons Learnt’ for the future; It was expected that ‘Previous Epidemics-Pandemics/ Lessons Learnt’ should have prevented the World caught off-guard re: ‘Unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic Ravaging Devastations’ [15,25]!!
4. COVID-19 PANDEMIC PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS: ‘Novel Coronavirus’/ ‘Information in a Flux’ re: Analytics, Biomarkers and Metabolomics/ Exposomics and Testing-Tracing-Tracking and Sensitivity/ Specificity Issues! Also, Diagnostics and Antibodies/ Types and Duration re: Duration and Individual/ Herd Immunity/ Antibodies Coverage Levels Required!! Other ‘Issues’/ Therapeutics: Anti-COVID-19 Drugs in ‘Randomized Controlled Trials’-Monoclonal Antibodies-Immunoglobulins Therapy!! Vaccinology/ Candidate Vaccines in different Phases of Clinical Trials and Specifics re: Production Precursor Diversity, Doses/ Single or Boosters Required, Side Effects, Response Time, Induced Antibodies Types, Levels for Individual/ Herd Immunity, T Cell Immunity-Response-Duration-Protection, True Protection/ Reinfection and Reactivation, Production, Distribution, Supply Chain Issues, Inverse Equity Hypothesis/Access Inequalities, Single or Multiple Vaccines etc [22-24]!! Also, ‘Critical Care Gadgets-Ventilators-CPAPs-PPEs etc’!!!
5. COVID-19 PANDEMIC NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS: These are the ‘Interventions that Work’ but suffer ‘Interventional Inequity’ concerning ‘Research, Developments and Investments’! The ’Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs)’/ ‘Information in a Flux’ and the relevant Prescriptions-Epidemic Curve Metrics-Epidemiological Metrics for Social Distancing, Self-Isolation, Mass Gatherings Restrictions, Face Masks Specifics, ALL Shutdowns-Easing Lockdowns-‘Stratified Lockdown’ and Universal-Specific Precautionary Measures. The ‘Global Precautionary Measures’: Appropriate Hand-washing Techniques-Proper Hand Sanitizer Use, Frequent Disinfectant Spraying-Soaked Cloth Cleaning of Surfaces Frequently Touched, Avoiding Touching Eyes, Nose and Mouth, ‘NPIs-compliance’-Impact etc [26-34]!
6. COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SOCIAL-STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES: The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’/ ‘Social-Structural Disparities’ in various ‘Human Existential-Developmental Spheres’ needing the ‘True Situational Realities’; ‘Issues’ of ‘COVID-19 Racial Disparities’, ‘Racism in Medicine’, ‘Other Social-Structural Disparities’ require ‘Updated Accurate Information’ [35-38]!!
7. COVID-19 INFODEMIC: The ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’/ Another ‘Global Pandemic’ the World is grappling with in the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Era’! Further ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Accurate Information-seeking Interventions’ are urgently necessitated as imperatives; As ‘Nature Abhors Vacuum’, ‘New and Accurate COVID-19 Information’ MUST be rapidly ‘Sourced and Infused’ to replace any/ every vacated ‘Component’ of the ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’ [38,39]!!
8. COVID-19 RESEARCH: The ‘COVID-19 Research’, an ‘Avalanche of Research Outpourings’ to the ‘Unprecedented Rapidly Dynamically Transmuting COVID-19 Pandemic Specifics’, is now itself the subject/ target of urgently needed ‘Research Interventions’! While some ‘Communications’ [1-5] have regarded the ‘COVID-19 Research’ as ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’, other ‘Communications’ [6-9] call for ‘Differentially Calibrating Strict/ Robust Research Governance Pillars and Data Governance Principles’ to accommodate the ‘Sub-Optimal Research Outputs’!!
9. COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND WHO: The ‘ROLE’ of the WHO right from the beginning of the ‘Novel Infection’ up until this moment has been variously ‘Scrutinized/ Criticized’, and perhaps also ‘Politicized’, and need ‘Further Accurate Information-seeking Interventions’ to appropriately ‘SITUATE/ RE-SITUATE’ the ‘Global Health Body’ in this ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Trying Times’ [15]! The ‘Pandemic Declaration Timeliness’, ‘Interventional Pronouncements’, ‘Certain Issues/ Seeming Uncertainties’, ‘Some Flip-Flop Stance’ etc need ‘Further Research’ for ‘Integrity/ Performance Reaffirmation’!!
10. COVID PHENOMENON: The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ has been described as a ‘COVID Phenomenon’40! The ‘Unprecedented Pandemic’ has both ‘Devastating Effects’ [41-43] and ‘Beneficial Outcomes’ [44-46]!! These various ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Effects’ need further ‘Research Interventions’ to properly document their ‘Situational Realities’ and others yet to be identified for a ‘Comprehensive Cost-Benefit Balance’ [47,48]!! The real impact of the ‘Pandemic’ on ‘Non-COVID-19 Conditions’ needs further attention as part of the ‘Total Cost-Benefit Balance’!!!
This ‘Communication’, as a ‘Tantalizing Teaser’, is a ‘Contribution’ to the enlarging extant ‘COVID-19 Research Waste Conversations’ and seeks to focus attention to the ‘Ten Domains-Stated Specifics’ requiring ‘Further Information-seeking Interventions’ by conducting ‘New COVID-19 Research’ that meet ‘Best Practices and Standards in Research’! This, hopefully, should contribute to minimizing and possibly eclipsing the bothersome ‘Other Global Pandemics’: ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’ and ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’!!
REFERENCES
1. Clinical Trials.gov. History of changes for study. NCT04280705, 1 May 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/history/NCT04280705?A=10&B=15&C=Side-by-S....
2. Yan W. Coronavirus tests science’s need for speed limits. New York Times 2020 Apr 14. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/science/coronavirus-disinformation.html
3. Hoffmann T, Glasziou P. What if the vaccine or drugs don’t save us? Plan B for coronavirus means research on alternatives is urgently needed. The Conversation, 21 Apr 2020. https://theconversation.com/what-if-vaccine-or-drugs-dont-save-us-plan-b...
4. Glasziou PP, Sanders S, Hoffmann T. Waste in covid-19 research. BMJ 2020; 369:m1847
5. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic: The multifaceted picture of compromised COVID-19 research and the COVID Phenomenon’. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1847/rr-12 of 10th June 2020
6. Nassisi M, Audo I, Zeitz C et al. Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on basic science research in ophthalomology: the experience of a highly specialized research facility in France. Eye (Lond) 2020; 34:1187-8
7. Conroy G. Preprints boost article citations and mentions. Nature Index 2019 Jul 9. https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/preprints-boost-article-citations-...
8. Fry NK, Marshall H, Mellins-Cohen T. In praise of preprints. Microb Genom 2019; 5:e000259. Doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000259. pmid:30938670
9. Karmakar S, Dhar R, Jee B. Covid-19: research methods must be flexible in a crisis. BMJ 2020; 370:m2668
10. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic, the quest for urgent information and solutions and the paradox: making haste slowly to avoid ‘COVID-19 Research Waste’. https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2668/rr of 17th July 2020
11. Jang S, Shi Z, Shu Y et al. A distinct name is needed for the new coronavirus. Lancet 2020; 395:949
12. Ather B, Edemekong PF. Airborne Precations. In: StatPearls (Internet). Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing 2020 Jan.
13. Wu Y, Ho W, Huang Y et la. SARS-CoV-2 is an appropriate name for the new coronavirus. Lancet 2020; 395:949-950
14. Shen Z, Xiao Y, Kang L et al. Genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in Coronavirus Disease 2019 patients. Clin Inf Dis. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa203 of 9th March 2020
15. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-10 of 31st March 2020
16. Talan J. COVID-19: Neurologists in Italy to Colleagues in US: Look for Poorly-Defined Neurological Conditions in Patients with the Coronavirus. https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/blog/breakingnews/pages/post.a... of 27th March 2020
17. Jin X, Lian J-S, Hu J-H et al. Epidemiological, Clinical and Virological Characteristics of 74 Cases of Coronavirus-infected disease 2019 (COVID-19) with gastrointestinal symptoms. Gut Epub ahead of print doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2020-320926 of 17th March 2020
18. Hall W. Social class and survival on the S.S.Titanic. Soc Sci Med 1986; 22:687-90.
19. Sinha I, Bennett D, Taylor-Robinson DC. Children are being sidelined by Covid-19. BMJ 2020; 369:m2061
20. Fore H. Don’t let children be the hidden victims of COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/dont-let-children-be-the-hidden-vi... of 9th April 2020
21. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic and the peculiar affliction of children: Amplification of a social fault cleavage that must be fixed. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2061/rr-2 of 1st July 2020
22. Brouwer PJM, Caniels TG, Straten K et al. Potent neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients define multiple targets of vulnerability. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/2020/06/15/science.abc5902
23. Deeks JJ, Dinnes J, Takwoingi Y, et al. Antibody tests for identification of current and past infection with SARS-CoV-2. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020; 6:CD013652
24. Eregie CO. Covid-19 Pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and testing: Still searching for more facts. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2584/rr of 16th July 2020
25. COVID-1: Lessons and Recommendations. www.isglobal.org/coronavirus of 12th March 2020
26. Middleton JD, Lopes H. Face masks in the covid-19 crisis: caveats, limits and priorities. BMJ 2020; 369:m2030
27. Wetsman N. CDC recommends people wear cloth masks to block the spread of COVID-19. The Verge of 3rd April 2020
28. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic and face mask use: Limitless matters for extant conversation. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2030/rr-0 of 11th June 2020
29. Schroter RC. Social distancing for covid-19: is 2 meters far enough? BMJ 2020; 369:m2010
30. Eregie CO. COVID-19 and social distancing: more work in the works to be there. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2010/rr-1 of 12th June 2020
31. Godlee F. Covid-19: It’s too soon to lift lockdown. BMJ 2020; 369:m2202
32. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic Interventions: Lockdown is not lockout; avoid interventional precocity with easing lockdowns. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2202/rr-4 of 14th June 2020
33. Smith GD, Spiegelhalter D. Shielding from covid-19 should be stratified by risk. BMJ 2020; 369:m2063
34. Eregie CO. COVID-19 pandemic and stratified shielding: some more matters for the works. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2063/rr-2 of 18th June 2020
35. Douglass C, Fyfe M, Lokugamage AU. Structural racism in society and the covid-19 ‘stress test’. https://blogs.bmj.com/2020/06/08/structural-racism-in-society-and-the-co... of 8th June 2020
36. Douglass C, Fyfe M, Lokugamage AU. Structural racism in society and the covid-19 ‘stress test’. https://blogs.bmj.com/2020/06/08/structural-racism-in-society-and-the-co... of 8th June 2020
37. Godlee F. Racism: the other pandemic. BMJ 2020; 369:2303
38. Eregie CO. COVID-19 pandemic tragic octad: The evolving conceptual qualitative interventional equation to fight the pandemic. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2303/rr-9 of 24th June 2020
39. Eregie CO. COVID-19 Pandemic and the ‘Determinant Nonad’: Rekindling the imperative of the twin medical reformation interventions of ‘Multiparameter-Based Medicine (MBM)’ and ‘Medical Socioeconosophy (MSE)’. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2379/rr of 7th July 2020
40. Eregie C. O. COVID Phenomenon: An innovative conceptual coinage in human development and sustainable development in the 21st Century. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-17 of 9th April 2020
41. Godlee F. COVID-19: Weathering the storm. BMJ 2020; 368:m1199 of 26th March 2020
42. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: Still on the difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-13 of 2nd April 2020
43. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: Further perspectives on the difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-16 of 5th April 2020
44. Kickbusch I, Leung GM, Bhutta ZA, Matsoso MP, Ihekweazu C, Abbasi K. Covid-19: how a virus is turning the world upside down. BMJ 2020; 369:m1336 of 3rd April 2020
45. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The daunting challenges of assuring sustainable benefits from weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-14 of 8th April 2020
46. Nelson B. The positive effects of Covid-19. BMJ 2020; 369:m1785
47. Appleby J. Tackling covid-19: are the costs worth the benefits? BMJ 2020; 369:m1496
48. Eregie C.O. Tackling COVID-19 Pandemic: all relevant impactful observables should be captured in the cost-benefit balance. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1496/rr-3 of 7th May 2020
Professor Charles Osayande Eregie,
MBBS, FWACP, FMCPaed, FRCPCH (UK), Cert. ORT (Oxford), MSc (Religious Education),
Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
UNICEF-Trained BFHI Master Trainer,
ICDC-Trained in Code Implementation,
*Technical Expert/ Consultant on the FMOH-UNICEF-NAFDAC Code Implementation Project in Nigeria.
*No Competing Interests.
Competing interests: No competing interests