Journal article
The impact of COVID-19 on clinical research for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): a case study of bubonic plague
- Abstract:
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Background
Among the many collaterals of the COVID-19 pandemic is the disruption of health services and vital clinical research. COVID-19 has magnified the challenges faced in research and threatens to slow research for urgently needed therapeutics for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and diseases affecting the most vulnerable populations. Here we explore the impact of the pandemic on a clinical trial for plague therapeutics and strategies that have been considered to ensure research efforts continue.
Methods
To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trial accrual rate, we documented changes in patterns of all-cause consultations that took place before and during the pandemic at health centres in two districts of the Amoron’I Mania region of Madagascar where the trial is underway. We also considered trends in plague reporting and other external factors that may have contributed to slow recruitment.
Results
During the pandemic, we found a 27% decrease in consultations at the referral hospital, compared to an 11% increase at peripheral health centres, as well as an overall drop during the months of lockdown. We also found a nation-wide trend towards reduced number of reported plague cases.
Discussion
COVID-19 outbreaks are unlikely to dissipate in the near future. Declining NTD case numbers recorded during the pandemic period should not be viewed in isolation or taken as a marker of things to come. It is vitally important that researchers are prepared for a rebound in cases and, most importantly, that research continues to avoid NTDs becoming even more neglected.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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- Files:
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(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 587.4KB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010064
Authors
- Publisher:
- Public Library of Science
- Journal:
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases More from this journal
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 12
- Article number:
- e0010064
- Place of publication:
- United States
- Publication date:
- 2021-12-20
- Acceptance date:
- 2021-12-06
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1935-2735
- ISSN:
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1935-2727
- Pmid:
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34928955
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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1230715
- Local pid:
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pubs:1230715
- Deposit date:
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2024-01-18
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Rasoanaivo et al
- Copyright date:
- 2021
- Rights statement:
- © 2021 Rasoanaivo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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