Investigating the evolution of COVID-19 research trends and collaborations in Southeast Asia: A bibliometric analysis

Background and aimsThe publications on COVID-19 have tremendously increased. Thus, there is a need to summarize and curate this evidence from the literature. This study determined the characteristics and trends of published articles about COVID-19 in Southeast Asia (SEA) through a bibliometric analysis.MethodsA systematic review of literature on COVID-19 in SEA countries was performed using the Scopus database from 2020 to August 2021. Bibliometric information was obtained from Scopus and network visualization was conducted using VOSviewer software.ResultsA total of 706 articles were obtained in this study. The number of publications increased exponentially from 2020 up to present. Most of the research outputs were produced by authors and institutions from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The other countries with highest cases of COVID-19 in SEA such as Indonesia and Philippines have lower scientific output in this field. GDP, research and development expenditure, number of researchers and physicians, and international collaborations were significantly correlated to research productivity in COVID-19 in SEA.ConclusionThis study showed the trends and gaps for research in SEA and the facilitators of research productivity in COVID-19. SEA countries should consider increasing the support for COVID-19 research to generate knowledge that can be used in controlling COVID-19 in the region.     

Global research on vitamin D and coronavirus disease 2019: A bibliometric and visualized study

Background and aim:Vitamin D play a substantial role in immune function, but little is known about its prevention in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A detail bibliometric analysis of the published scientific literature indexed in Web of Science on vitamin D as a therapeutic option for the COVID-19 patients’ treatment is lacking. Thus, the current study was conducted to determine the key bibliometric indices and plot the global research on vitamin D and COVID-19.Methods:The Web of Science Core Collection database was utilized to retrieve publications on vitamin D and COVID-19. A Boolean search strategy was applied and the obtained data were exported to Microsoft Excel to generate relevant graphs. Furthermore, VOSviewer software version 1.6.17 for Windows was used to generate co-authorship countries, bibliographic coupling sources and co-occurrence keyword network visualization mapping. In addition, RStudio and Bibliometric online tool were used to generate WordCloud and thematic map, and intercountries relation map, respectively.Results:A total of 818 publications on vitamin D and COVID-19 were included in the final analysis. These publications were cited 10,713 times, with an H-index of 50. The number of publications and citations score from 2020 to November 2021 increased from 317 (2423 citations) to 501 (8290 citations). Delanghe JR and Speeckaert MM were the most prolific authors with 13 publications each. The most productive journal was Nutrients (n = 63). The most studied research area is nutrition dietetics. The most widely used author keywords were COVID-19 (n = 444), Vitamin D (n = 312), and SARS-CoV-2 (n = 190). The National Institute of Health and US Department of Health and Human Services were the leading funding agencies. Harvard University was the most active institution with 25 publications. The United States of America was the highly contributing and influential country in terms of publications (n = 203) and total link strength (n = 185).Conclusion:It was concluded that an increasing trend in the number of publications on vitamin D and COVID-19 has been observed. Significantly, the majority of the research has been conducted in developed countries. Most importantly, over the time, the direction of research has been changed and the recent trend topics are vitamin D deficiency, risk and infection, and vitamin D supplementation based on KeyWords Plus. The use of vitamin D supplement is one of the promising therapeutic options for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, the current study not only highlight the global research trends but also provide standard bibliographic information for future studies.     

The impact of television on-air time on hand hygiene compliance behaviors during COVID-19 outbreak

BackgroundThere is limited data to support the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hand hygiene compliance among hospital visitors.MethodsWe monitored hand hygiene compliance among university hospital visitors in Osaka, Japan by direct observation, from December 2019 to March 2022. During this time, we measured the amount of coverage time dedicated to COVID-19 related news on the local public television channel and the number of confirmed cases and deaths.ResultsOver 148 days, 111,071 visitors hand hygiene compliance was monitored. The baseline compliance was 5.3% (213 of 4,026) in December 2019. From late January 2020, compliance rose significantly to almost 70% in August 2020. It remained at a level of 70%-75% until October 2021, after which, the compliance slowly declined to the mid-60% range. The number of newly confirmed cases and deaths were not related to the change in compliance, but the association between the on-air time of COVID-19-related news and compliance was statistically significant.ConclusionsHand hygiene compliance dramatically increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of television in increasing hand hygiene compliance was significant.     

Research trends for papillary thyroid carcinoma from 2010 to 2019: A systematic review and bibliometrics analysis

Background:Thyroid carcinoma comprises the fastest rising incidence of carcinomas over the past decade. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most predominant type of thyroid carcinoma. This study aimed to assess the research trends in the field of PTC.Methods:Publications from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database using Thompson Reuters. Searching strategies were determined according to Medical Subject Heading terms. Different kinds of bibliometrics software, such as HistCite and VOSviewer, and online bibliometrics analysis platforms were utilized to evaluate and visualize the results.Results:A total of 8102 publications across 93 countries were identified, with the annual number of publications showing an increasing trend. The United States, China, and South Korea showed their dominant position in PTC publication outputs, H-index, total citations, and international collaborations. Thyroid was the most productive journal. Akira Miyauchi published the most articles, and the most productive institution was Yonsei University. The hotspots keywords proliferation, invasion and metastasis, diagnoses and prognoses, therapeutic resistance, recurrence, and microcarcinomas appeared earlier and were sustained over the last 3 years.Conclusions:This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive analysis delineating the scientific productivity, collaboration, and research hotspots within the PTC field, which will be very helpful when focusing on the direction of research over the next few years.     

Moxibustion for diarrhea in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease that is often accompanied by diarrhea, patients with symptoms such as diarrhea are more likely to develop severe pneumonia, while diarrhea is the most prominent among atypical symptoms. The incidence of diarrhea in COVID-19 patients is 2.0% to 49.5%. Moxibustion has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on diarrhea; however, there is no high-quality evidence on moxibustion for diarrhea in COVID-19 patients. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for the treatment of diarrhea in patients with COVID-19.Methods:Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to December 2021 will be included without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and VIP database will be searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Review Manager V.5.3 and stata 14.0.Results:The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.Conclusion:This study will provide evidence for whether moxibustion therapy is beneficial to the treatment of diarrhea in COVID-19.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval is not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms. This review would be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations.Prospero registration number:CRD42022302933.     

Acupuncture for nasal congestion in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:From the end of 2019 to now, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has put enormous strain on the world''s health systems, causing significant deaths and economic losses worldwide. Nasal congestion, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, poses considerable problems for patients. In China, acupuncture has been widely used to treat nasal congestion caused by COVID-19, but there is still a lack of evidence-based medical evaluation.Methods:According to the retrieval strategies, randomized controlled trials on the acupuncture for COVID-19 nasal congestion were obtained from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, regardless of publication date, or language. Studies were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) and STATA 14.2 software. Ultimately, the evidentiary grade for the results will be evaluated.Results:The study will provide a high-quality and convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of COVID-19''s nasal congestion and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Conclusion:Our findings will provide references for future clinical decision and guidance development.PROSPERO registration number:NO.CRD42021299482.     

Analyzing COVID-19 pandemic for unequal distribution of tests,identified cases,deaths, and fatality rates in the top 18 countries

Background and aimsCOVID-19 pandemic has affected various countries differently due to variance in demographics, income level, health infrastructure, government response, control and enforcement, and cultural traits of different populations. This study aims to identify significant factors behind the unequal distribution of identified cases and deaths in different countries. Our study’s objective is comparative analysis and identification of relations between the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, population characteristics, and government response.MethodsThe top 18 countries worst hit by COVID-19 cases were identified. The data metrics, such as the number of cases, deaths, fatality rates, tests, average life expectancy, and population, were collected and consolidated.ResultsCountries with significant percentage of the older population are vulnerable to a high number of deaths due to COVID-19. Developed countries have higher per capita testing, whereas testing is less intensive in developing/underdeveloped countries. There is a consensus among health experts that COVID-19 has higher fatality rates for people above 60, however, with further age, this increases exponentially. Countries with higher life expectancy are also high-income countries, and the best course of action would be to provide specialized support to self-isolate for people of ages 75 and above.ConclusionThe behaviour of disease occurring at a large scale and interaction with different populations is studied to understand and differentiate the factors and measures that successfully inhibited the pandemic. The study benchmarks different countries based on their performance and efforts against the pandemic and provides some useful insights on the efficiency of their governance and potential to improve & ramp up their programs. The economic status and existing healthcare infrastructure as they are the key factors in determining the country’s ability to contain and minimize the losses from this pandemic.     

Effects of traditional Chinese exercise on the treatment of COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review

Introduction:Since the end of December 2019, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a huge impact in many countries and has attracted great attention from countries around the world. In fact, many studies have shown that during the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Chinese traditional exercise plays an active role in promoting human health. The main purpose of this study is to provide a reliable method and credible evidence to improve the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 through traditional Chinese exercise.Methods:This protocol is guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews. By searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, China Science, and Wan-Fang Database. The whole process includes selecting high-quality literature, extracting and analyzing, and assessing the risk of bias in order to summarize the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese exercise on COVID-19 patients.Result:Research shows that prevention and treatment through traditional Chinese exercise can provide strong evidence against COVID-19.Conclusion:To provide a way to help prevent and treat COVID-19 through traditional Chinese exercise.     

Parada Cardiorrespiratória Extra-Hospitalar durante a Pandemia da Doença por Coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) no Brasil: A Mortalidade Oculta

The world changed in just a few months after the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a beta coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Brazil currently has the world’s second-highest COVID-19 death toll, second only to the USA. The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading fast in the world with more than 181 countries affected. This editorial refers to the article published in Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia: “Increase in home deaths due to cardiorespiratory arrest in times of COVID-19 pandemic.”¹ Their main results show a gradual increase in the rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Their data demonstrate a proportional increase of 33% of home deaths in March 2020 compared to previous periods. Their study is the first Brazilian paper to demonstrate the same trend observed in other countries.     

COVID-19 mortality,excess mortality,deaths per million and infection fatality ratio,Belgium, 9 March 2020 to 28 June 2020

BackgroundCOVID-19 mortality, excess mortality, deaths per million population (DPM), infection fatality ratio (IFR) and case fatality ratio (CFR) are reported and compared for many countries globally. These measures may appear objective, however, they should be interpreted with caution.AimWe examined reported COVID-19-related mortality in Belgium from 9 March 2020 to 28 June 2020, placing it against the background of excess mortality and compared the DPM and IFR between countries and within subgroups.MethodsThe relation between COVID-19-related mortality and excess mortality was evaluated by comparing COVID-19 mortality and the difference between observed and weekly average predictions of all-cause mortality. DPM were evaluated using demographic data of the Belgian population. The number of infections was estimated by a stochastic compartmental model. The IFR was estimated using a delay distribution between infection and death.ResultsIn the study period, 9,621 COVID-19-related deaths were reported, which is close to the excess mortality estimated using weekly averages (8,985 deaths). This translates to 837 DPM and an IFR of 1.5% in the general population. Both DPM and IFR increase with age and are substantially larger in the nursing home population.DiscussionDuring the first pandemic wave, Belgium had no discrepancy between COVID-19-related mortality and excess mortality. In light of this close agreement, it is useful to consider the DPM and IFR, which are both age, sex, and nursing home population-dependent. Comparison of COVID-19 mortality between countries should rather be based on excess mortality than on COVID-19-related mortality.     

Treatment of COVID-19 anxiety by auricular points: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:In December 2019, a series of acute, atypical respiratory diseases was identified in Wuhan, China. The source of the illnesses was attributed to a novel coronavirus, named the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the subsequent disease it causes was named the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Evidence from previous coronavirus outbreaks has shown that infected patients are at risk for developing psychiatric and mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.Methods:According to the retrieval strategies, randomized controlled trials on auricular points for anxiety in patients with coronavirus 2019 will be obtained from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, regardless of publication date or language. Studies will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool will be used to evaluate the quality of the literature. The network meta-analysis will be performed with the Markov chain Monte Carlo method and carried out with Stata 14.2 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software. Ultimately, the quality of the evidence obtained from the results will be evaluated.Results:This study will evaluate whether auricular points can effectively treat anxiety in patients with COVID-19.Conclusion:This study will provide evidence for whether auricular points is beneficial to the treatment of anxiety in patients with COVID-19.INPLASY registration number:CRD42022302649.     

Insights on defeating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and predicting tourist arrival on the Chinese Hainan Leisure Island during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background:Hainan province is a very popular leisure tourist arriving city in China. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China and rapidly in early 2020, and due to its rapid worldwide spread, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Hainan province, many businesses and economies were influenced in this unexpected event, especially in tourism.Methods:This study used 2 classical forecasting methods to predict the number of tourists on Hainan Leisure Island from September to December in the second half of 2020 and to summarize the COVID-19 fighting experience during the pandemic. In addition, the Hainan government implemented epidemic control measures to resume production and work, and promote new tourism measures to acquire superior COVID-19 protection.Results:Winter''s method provides a statistical model for predicting the number of visitors to Hainan under normal conditions. The trend analysis method considers the impact of the black swan event, an irregular event, and only uses the data under the influence of the event to predict according to the trend.Conclusion:If the impact of the black swan event (COVID-19) continues, the prediction can be made using this method. In addition, the Hainan government has undertaken timely and effective measures against COVID-19 to promote leisure tourism development.     

Acupuncture for headache in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease which making people difficult to breathe and often accompanied with headache. Acupuncture have been proved the therapeutic effect on headache, but there has been no high-quality evidence on acupuncture for the headache in COVID-19. This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for headache in COVID-19.Methods:Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to July 2021 will be included without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and VIP database will be searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Review Manager V.5.3 and stata 14.0.Ethics and dissemination:This study will not involve personal information. Ethical approval will not be required. We will publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO Trial registration number:CRD42021270722     

Moxibustion for abdominal pain in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease that makes breathing difficult and is often accompanied by abdominal pain and distension. Moxibustion, a special external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, has shown beneficial effects in the treatment of abdominal pain. Currently, there is a lack of systematic reviews on moxibustion for the treatment of abdominal pain. We conduct this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of abdominal pain. This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for abdominal pain in COVID-19.Methods:Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to December 2021 will be included, without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and VIP Database were searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data, and evaluate study quality. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Statistical analyses will be conducted using the RevMan 5.3 software.Results:This study aimed to prove the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for abdominal pain in patients with COVID-19. Our study provides a more accurate treatment method for abdominal pain during COVID-19. We will publish our results in a peer-reviewed journal.Conclusion:This study will provide more convincing evidence for clinicians to treat these conditions and help them make appropriate decisions.Ethics and dissemination:This study did not include personal information. Ethical approval was not required for this study.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY2021120104.     

Redução na Hospitalização e Aumento na Mortalidade por Doenças Cardiovasculares durante a Pandemia da COVID-19 no Brasil

BackgroundIn the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality from them has been recognized worldwide. In Brazil, the impact of COVID-19 on CVD must be evaluated.ObjectivesTo assess the impact of the current pandemic on the numbers of hospital admissions (HA), in-hospital deaths (ID), and in-hospital fatality (IF) from CVD by use of national epidemiological data from the Brazilian Unified Public Health System.MethodsTime-series observational study using comparative analysis of the HA, ID, and IF due to CVD recorded from January to May 2020, having as reference the values registered in the same period from 2016 to 2019 and the values projected by linear regression methods for 2020. The statistical significance level applied was 0.05.ResultsCompared to the same period in 2019, there was a 15% decrease in the HA rate and a 9% decrease in the total ID due to CVD between March and May 2020, followed by a 9% increase in the IF rate due to CVD, especially among patients aged 20-59 years. The HA and IF rates registered in 2020 differed significantly from the projected trend for 2020 (p = 0.0005 and 0.0318, respectively).ConclusionsDuring the first months of the pandemic, there were a decline in HA and an increase in IF due to CVD in Brazil. These data might have resulted from the inadequate planning of the CVD management during the pandemic. Thus, immediate actions are required to change this scenario. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0)     

Mapping research trends in diabetic retinopathy from 2010 to 2019: A bibliometric analysis

Background:Although many publications in diabetic retinopathy (DR) have been reported, there is no bibliometric analysis.Purpose:To perform a bibliometric analysis in the field of diabetic retinopathy (DR) research, to characterize the current international status of DR research, to identify the most effective factors involved in this field, and to explore research hotspots in DR research.Methods:Based on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), a bibliometric analysis was conducted to investigate the publication trends in research related to DR. Knowledge maps were constructed by VOSviewer v.1.6.10 to visualize the publications, the distribution of countries, international collaborations, author productivity, source journals, cited references and keywords, and research hotspots in this field.Results:In total, 11,839 peer-reviewed papers were retrieved on DR from 2010 to 2019, and the annual research output increased with time. The United States ranks highest among countries with the most publications. The most active institution is the University of Melbourne. Wong, TY contributed the largest number of publications in this field. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the most prolific journal in DR research. The top-cited references mainly investigated the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications in the management of DR, and the keywords formed 6 clusters:

• 1.pathogenesis of DR;
• 2.epidemiology and risk factors for DR;
• 3.treatments for DR;
• 4.screening of DR;
• 5.histopathology of DR; and
• 6.diagnostic methods for DR.

Discussion:With the improvement of living standard, DR has gradually become one of the important causes of blindness, and has become a hot spot of public health research in many countries. The application of deep learning and artificial intelligence in diabetes screening and anti-VEGF medications in the management of DR have been the research hotspots in recent 10 years.Conclusions:Based on data extracted from the WoSCC, this study provides a broad view of the current status and trends in DR research and may provide clinicians and researchers with insight into DR research and valuable information to identify potential collaborators and partner institutions and better predict their dynamic directions.     

Effects of respiratory training on pulmonary function,bad mood,and quality of life in patients with COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:At present, whether respiratory training can improve the lung function, quality of life, and mental health of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still controversial. Therefore, in order to provide new evidence-based medicine for clinical treatment, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of respiratory training in improving lung function, quality of life, and mental health of patients with COVID-19.Methods:Relevant publications were searched from clinical trials. Computer was used to retrieve Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Repositories, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database to April 2021. Two researchers independently carried out data extraction and literature quality evaluation on the quality and meta-analysis of the included literature was performed with Revman 5.3 software.Results:The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.Conclusion:This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence on the effects of breathing training on lung function, bad mood, and quality of life in patients with COVID-19.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval was not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms.OSF Registration number:DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZQTGY.     

O Impacto da COVID-19 no Diagnóstico de Doenças Cardíacas na América Latina Uma Subanálise do INCAPS COVID

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of care for cardiovascular diseases in Latin America. However, the effect of the pandemic on the cardiac diagnostic procedure volumes has not been quantified.ObjectiveTo assess (1) the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac diagnostic volumes in Latin America and (2) determine its relationship with COVID-19 case incidence and social distancing measures.MethodsThe International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing changes in cardiac diagnostic volumes resulting from COVID-19. Cardiac diagnostic volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared to March 2019. Social distancing data were collected from Google COVID-19 community mobility reports and COVID-19 incidence per country from the Our World in Data.ResultsSurveys were conducted in 194 centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 19 countries in Latin America. Procedure volumes decreased 36% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 82% from March 2019 to April 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in echocardiogram stress tests (91%), exercise treadmill tests (88%), and computed tomography calcium scores (87%), with slight variations between sub-regions of Latin America. Changes in social distancing patterns (p < 0.001) were more strongly associated with volume reduction than COVID-19 incidence (p = 0.003).ConclusionsCOVID-19 was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedures in Latin America, which was more related to social distancing than to the COVID-19 incidence. Better balance and timing of social distancing measures and planning to maintain access to medical care is warranted during a pandemic surge, especially in regions with high cardiovascular mortality.     

Efficacy and safety of Reyanning mixture combined with conventional Western medicine for treating COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Since its first report in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly emerged as a pandemic affecting nearly all countries worldwide. So far, there is no specific anti-coronavirus therapy approved for the treatment of COVID-19. In China, some traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been successfully applied to the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and have achieved good clinical results, including the Reyanning mixture, but there is no systematic review about it. This study will systematically evaluate its efficacy and safety in the treatment of COVID-19.Methods:The following electronic bibliographic databases will be searched to identify relevant studies: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, and Wanfang databases. We will use the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions to assess the risk of bias. The protocol will be conducted according to the approach and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis.Results:The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of Reyanning mixture for the treatment of COVID-19.Conclusion:The conclusion of this review will provide evidence to judge whether Reyanning mixture combined with Conventional Western Medicine is an effective and safe intervention for COVID-19.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY2020120044.