The most influential COVID-19 articles: A systematic review

Suhaib Js Ahmad; Konstantinos Degiannis; Joseph Borucki; Sjaak Pouwels; David Laith Rawaf; Marion Head; Chun Hei Li; Rami Archid; Ahmed R Ahmed; Anil Lala; Wasif Raza; Katie Mellor; Doerte Wichmann; Aristomenis Exadaktylos

doi:10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101094

The most influential COVID-19 articles: A systematic review

New Microbes New Infect. 2023 Mar:52:101094. doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101094. Epub 2023 Feb 11.

Authors

Suhaib Js Ahmad^{1

2}, Konstantinos Degiannis^{3

2}, Joseph Borucki⁴, Sjaak Pouwels⁵, David Laith Rawaf⁶, Marion Head¹, Chun Hei Li⁷, Rami Archid⁸, Ahmed R Ahmed⁹, Anil Lala¹, Wasif Raza¹, Katie Mellor¹, Doerte Wichmann⁸, Aristomenis Exadaktylos²

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Surgery, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Wales, UK.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
³ Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Saarland, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany.
⁴ Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK.
⁵ Department of General, Abdominal and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Helios Klinikum Krefeld, Germany.
⁶ WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education & Training, Imperial College London, London, UK.
⁷ Vascular Institute, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁸ Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
⁹ Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Abstract

Background: Since December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2),causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has triggered a pandemic with challenges for health care systems around the world. Researchers have studied and published on the subject of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease extensively. What is the significance of articles published, shared and cited in the early stages of such a pandemic?

Materials and methods: A systematic literature search in a time frame of 12 months and analysis rating using Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) were performed.

Results: The 100 most cited COVID-19 articles were identified. The majority of these articles were from China (n = 54), followed by United States of America (USA) (n = 21) and United Kingdom (UK) (n = 8). All articles were published in high-ranked, peer-reviewed journals, with research focusing onthe the diagnosis, transmission and therapy of COVID-19. The level of evidence of the 100 most cited COVID-19 articles on average was low.

Conclusion: In the early stages of a pandemic, new and innovative research can emerge and be highly cited, regardless of the level of evidence.

Keywords: COVID-19; Citations; ICU care; Intensive care; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review