Researchers wanted to know how fast COVID-19 science research reached decision-makers.
Introduction
[150-250 words]
Imagine there’s a big, tricky puzzle to solve. Like figuring out how a new sickness is spreading around the world. Who do you call for help? Scientists! When a new disease spreads quickly – like COVID-19 did in 2020 – people need to act fast. Governments have to make big decisions. Who should get vaccines first? How many hospital beds do we need? Do we need to limit social contact?
To make good choices, leaders need help from scientists. But scientific research normally takes a long time. It can take months or even years to study something, write up the findings, and get it all published in a journal. For governments to then use the results from this research in their policies can take even longer.
During COVID-19, there was no time to wait. That’s why the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team (ICCRT) did something special. They made their research results on the developing pandemic available to governments by publishing their work very quickly. In fact, as soon as it became available! They helped decision-makers all around the world. Governments could respond quickly and carefully to what was happening.
So, what type of publications did they share? How quickly were they made available? Who used these publications and what were they about? This is what we wanted to find out.
Methods
[150-200 words]
We looked at everything the COVID-19 response team produced between January 2020 and February 2022. This included:
preprints (early versions of science papers),
peer-reviewed papers (papers checked and published by science journals),
reports (immediately published research findings on the developing pandemic), and
news updates (a summary of the key findings from the research).
We then checked to see:
if and how quickly preprints and reports were published in peer-reviewed journals,
which countries published policy documents that cited the COVID-19 response team’s work and how quickly that happened, and
whether the research results were in line with the decisions made in government policies.
Results
[50-150 words]
The COVID-19 response team created 620 science outputs in two years. About 56% of their reports and preprints became official science journal papers. They were often published within 200 days after sharing the report or preprint. This is much shorter than the usual publication schedule for scientific research!
In the UK, government groups used around 21% of the team’s work. Around the world, their research findings were cited in thousands of policy documents in 41 countries (Fig. 1). These policy documents were published in 26 languages.
On average, policy documents cited news updates within 210 days of their publication. This is compared to 272 days for journal articles – a difference of about two months. News updates therefore reached decision-makers faster than journal articles.
So, which research topics showed up in the policy documents? Well, we found that this changed depending on the phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, remember when vaccines weren’t yet available? Governments needed to know information about how many people were sick and how many hospital beds were open. These were also the most cited research topics in policy documents at this time.
Discussion
[150-200 words]
This study shows something important. How scientists share their discoveries impacts how quickly governments can create well-informed policy. This is especially important during a crisis. Healthcare policy has the potential to save millions of lives.
Most scientists write long papers that go through the peer review process. This takes place before journals publish them. That process takes time. But during a health emergency like COVID-19, waiting even a few months can be risky. More people will get sick or even die. The COVID-19 response team didn’t wait. They shared their science fast. They wrote reports, posted preprints, and shared regular updates through news stories.
And the news stories? They worked. World leaders and the general public saw them quickly. On average, news updates reached decision-makers around two months faster than journal articles. In a pandemic, that time difference can have serious consequences.
The team also changed what they studied as the situation changed. At the beginning, they looked at how many people were getting sick. They studied how fast the virus spread. Then, how well lockdowns could work in preventing the spread of the virus. Later, they focused on vaccines and virus variants. These adjustments made it easier for governments to make timely and useful policy decisions.
This study gives us a clear message. Talking about science clearly – and sharing it fast – is critical. Scientists who explain things in real time help protect people in an emergency. They need support then, just as much as when they write long journal papers. We need both methods of communication! Science can have the greatest impact when it reaches the people who need it most.
Conclusion
[100 words]
This study shows that science can be shared clearly and fast in a global emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help keep people safe and well! And you don’t have to be a scientist to help. If you ask questions and explain things well, you can make a difference in your community. Simple messages, posters, or videos can help others understand what’s going on. You can also remind people to check facts and trust science. In the future, we might face new health problems. You can help by being curious, kind, and good at sharing what you learn. Even small actions can help a lot.
