Poor quality research and clinical practice during COVID-19

[Extract] The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down. Health services have adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic at eye-watering speed. Telemedicine has seen a rapid uptake in order for patient–physician encounters to comply with social distancing regulations. Elective surgeries have been put on hold to make room in hospitals for patients with COVID-19 and save valuable personal protective equipment. Many pre-pandemic research projects have been put on hold, and legions of medical researchers are now dedicated to researching COVID-19.

The number of publications on COVID-19, many published on pre-print servers that allow sharing of a research publicly before it has been peer reviewed, is skyrocketing. Many journals haveseen a drastic increase in manuscript submissions. The demand for quick distribution of information on a disease that we still know very little about is understandable and justified, and rapid dissemination of knowledge that can be accessed freely without a paywall is desirable. COVID-19, however, also highlights and amplifies some of the challenges clinical research and practice are facing in general.