COVID 19 Scoping: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• * Epidemiology and Public Health
• * Infectious Diseases Research
• * Scientific Literature Analysis

Background:

• * The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late 2019, leading to a global health crisis.
• * A surge in research, particularly meta-analyses, occurred rapidly to understand and combat the virus.
• * Evaluating the quality of this rapid scientific output is crucial for guiding future research efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To conduct a scoping review of meta-analyses related to COVID-19.
• * To identify research gaps and provide recommendations for enhancing future COVID-19 studies.
• * To assess the overall quality and characteristics of published COVID-19 meta-analyses.

Main Methods:

• * A comprehensive literature search was performed using databases: EBSCO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus.
• * Keywords included COVID-19, CORONA, SARS-CoV-2, clinical features, and Wuhan.
• * Articles published from January 2020 to February 2021 were included, with meta-analyses assessed following PRISMA guidelines.

Main Results:

• * A total of 316 meta-analyses were finalized, with the first publication in February 2020.
• * A significant increase in meta-analysis publications was observed, primarily in virology and infectious disease journals.
• * Most studies originated from Wuhan, with contributions from the USA, UK, and Italy; however, the majority of meta-analyses were of poor quality, with less than 10% showing high confidence.

Conclusions:

• * The quality of COVID-19 meta-analyses is predominantly low, with few studies meeting high standards.
• * Journal editors and review teams must implement stricter protocols to ensure the quality of published meta-analyses.
• * Recommendations are provided to improve the rigor and reliability of future COVID-19 research.