COVID-19: a pandemic experience that illuminates potential reforms to health research

Hannah N Kozlowski; Michael E Farkouh; Meredith S Irwin; Laszlo G Radvanyi; Aaron D Schimmer; Uri Tabori; Norman D Rosenblum

doi:10.15252/emmm.202013278

COVID-19: a pandemic experience that illuminates potential reforms to health research

EMBO Mol Med. 2020 Nov 6;12(11):e13278. doi: 10.15252/emmm.202013278. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Authors

Hannah N Kozlowski^{1

2}, Michael E Farkouh³, Meredith S Irwin⁴, Laszlo G Radvanyi⁵, Aaron D Schimmer⁶, Uri Tabori⁴, Norman D Rosenblum⁴

Affiliations

¹ Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² MD/PhD Program, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Heart and Stroke Richard Lewar Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Abstract

COVID-19 has halted research around the globe and forced researchers out of their laboratories. Non-emergency medical appointments were canceled. Ongoing clinical trials were challenged to create new modes of operation while public pressure mounted to find therapeutic options against COVID-19. Yet, the inability to conduct research during COVID-19 was overcome with cooperation, resource sharing, and compassion, which provides important lessons on how to improve health related research as we enter a new normal.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / pathology*
COVID-19 / prevention & control
COVID-19 / virology
Empathy
Humans
Information Dissemination
Intersectoral Collaboration
Pandemics
Research*
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification