ABSTRACT
The spontaneous nature of health emergencies and disasters (HED) require research prioritization and preparedness from multidisciplinary sectors such as the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has become a center of attention to the research community globally. This study aims at assessing global research evolution, precedence, and preparedness toward combating the COVID-19 pandemic via systematic analysis of published studies. We retrieved COVID-19 studies from Scopus and Web of Science databases from January 01, 2020, to March 23, 2020, according to the PRISMA guidelines using the search term “COVID-19 OR coronavir*". The dataset was analyzed for productivity indices, conceptual frameworks (CFs), discipline, and collaboration networks (CNs). Results revealed a total of 817 studies on COVID-19. The top two productive researchers include those by Wang Y. (3.55%) and Li Y. (2.94%). Among disciplines, virology (n = 40, 5 h-index), microbiology (n = 27, 2 h-index), immunology (n = 22), and infectious diseases (n = 21) were at the forefront. China (n = 181) and the United States (n = 69) ranked the first and second productive nations, respectively. Country CNs in COVID-19 can be clustered into four subnetworks. Also, four thematic areas evolved in COVID-19 research for the period, namely, epidemiologic studies of infectious bronchitis virus including coronavirus, elucidation of historical respiratory viral outbreaks, zoonoses and phylogenetic analysis, and influenza zoonosis;while the prevailing CFs of research prioritization ranged from comparative symptomatology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), perceptivity studies from SARS-CoV-1, 2 outbreaks, antigenic structural studies for vaccine production to antibody therapeutic target studies. In conclusion, the COVID-19 research has received progressive attention since the beginning of the pandemic;however, this study recommends that integrative and multidisciplinary research priority and preparation should be channelled toward HED from all experimental and nonexperimental biases of knowledge. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
ABSTRACT
Background: In rural areas, the distance factor has been identified as key in the utilization of health services. We aim to determine whether distance to an inner-city hospital in Newark, was associated with mortality in patients admitted for COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic. Methods: Patients who were admitted for COVID-19 at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) were stratified into two groups based on distance between the zip codes of their primary residence and the hospital. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between subjects living within a 2-mile radius of the zip code of the hospital [Neighbors] and those living further than 2 miles [Distant]. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), length of hospitalization, and discharge disposition. Results: Between March 09 and May 04, 2020, a total of 769 patients were admitted for COVID-19 at NBIMC. 406 (53%) resided within a 2-mile radius of the hospital location. of these 44% were obese. History of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease was documented in 69%, 48% and 23% respectively. Compared with distant patients, neighbors were older (59 vs. 69 yrs. P=0.048), mostly of Black/African American race (64% vs. 82%;p<0.001) and had a higherincidence of diabetes mellitus (40% vs. 48%;p=0.025) or coronary artery disease (17% vs. 23%;p=0.039). Visitors were more likely to report an exposure history to a COVID-19 patient thanneighbors (31% vs. 21%, p=0.001). In-hospital death rate were significantly higher in neighbors thanvisitors (32% vs. 22%, p=0.007). Admission to the ICU was similar between both groups (p=0.438).Among those who survived to discharge, distant patients had longer length of hospitalization (12 vs.10 days;p=0.006), than neighbors. Discharge disposition was comparable in both groups (p=0.249) Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study of patients admitted to an inner-city hospital for COVID-19, majority of patients living within a 2-mile radius were of Blacks/African Americans who had ahigher incidence of DM and CAD. A paradoxical association between distance to the hospital and in-hospital mortality was observed. Based on these findings, targeted interventions aimed at Impactingsocial determinants of health seem prudent.