How have COVID-19 stringency measures changed scholarly activity?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Clinical Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic prompted widespread government restrictions on public movement.
• These restrictions significantly impacted various sectors, including scientific research and clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of COVID-19 government restrictions on non-COVID-19 clinical trial registrations.
• To quantify the relationship between the stringency of pandemic-related government measures and the decline in clinical trial activity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of registered non-COVID-19 clinical trials during the pandemic.
• Utilizing the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker Stringency Index (SI) to measure restriction levels.
• Correlating SI scores with the reduction in clinical trial registrations across different countries.

Main Results:

• A notable decrease in the number of registered non-COVID-19 clinical trials was observed during the pandemic.
• Countries with higher Stringency Index scores experienced a more pronounced reduction in clinical trial registrations.
• The findings indicate a direct correlation between the severity of government-imposed restrictions and the decline in clinical trial activity.

Conclusions:

• Government restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively affected the progress of non-COVID-19 clinical research.
• The observed decline in clinical trial registrations poses a potential threat to the development of new treatments for various diseases.
• Addressing the impact on clinical research is crucial for mitigating the long-term global health consequences.