COVID-19 Pandemic Benefitted India's Biomedical Research Output: AWARI Study Reveals

“This study adds valuable insights to the understanding of how global health crises can stimulate research activity. It contributes to the literature by providing specific data on the impact of COVID-19 on Indian biomedical research, particularly highlighting the increased productivity of both public and private institutions,” the study author Dr Raju Vaishya, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, told Medical Dialogues.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted healthcare systems and various aspects of life, even in the most advanced countries. It led to critical shortages of ventilators and oxygen, impact on medical and general education as well as on research related to medications and vaccines. Additionally, the suspension of routine clinical duties and experiments gave researchers time to complete pending manuscripts and thesis work, which they submitted for publication There was a notable surge in manuscript submissions to research journals, so much that editors of prominent international scientific journals found it difficult to handle the influx of submissions.

According to Dr Vaishya, the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its worldwide impact made it a highly compelling subject for research. Referring to the study, he added, “The study aimed to understand how this crisis affected biomedical research in India, a major global player in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. By analyzing publication trends, the study sought to identify potential opportunities and challenges for future research in the country.”

For this purpose, Dr Vaishya and colleagues utilized the Scopus database for biomedical publications from January 1st, 2017, to December 31st, 2022, with India’s country or territory specified as the limiting factor. The duration was then divided into two parts: pre- and post-COVID-19. The spanning of the pre-COVID-19 period ranged from 2017 to 2019, whereas the post-COVID-19 era extended from 2020 to 2022.

The nonparametric statistical tests and graphics were used to analyze the publication trends in all subject areas across the periods (pre- and post-COVID-19).

The Study led to the following findings:

• India produced 231,370 research documents, surpassing Australia (214,750) and France (207,220). However, this figure was still lower than the leading publishing countries.
• The United States (148,448), China (71,484), the United Kingdom (42,446), Germany (31,727), Italy (7,183), Japan (251,357), and Canada (241,759) also demonstrated significant research output.
• Statistically significant research output was observed between the pre- and post-pandemic periods. (Wilcoxon rank sum test, Z = 4.107)
• The publication output from the top institutions was significantly higher (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Z = 8.115)
• The statistically significant increase remained consistent in subgroup analyses for both publicly and privately funded medical institutions, including medical colleges.
• No significant difference in publication output was found when comparing public institutions, private institutions, and medical colleges with each other in the pre-and post-COVID periods.

The findings showed no significant difference in the rise of publication figures when comparing public institutions, private institutions, and medical colleges with each other due to the 2019-nCoV pandemic.

He further added, “While the overall number of publications has increased, it is essential to evaluate the quality and impact of these publications to ensure that the research contributes meaningfully to the field. The long-term implications of the pandemic-induced research boom remain to be seen. It is crucial to monitor the sustainability of these trends and the potential impact on research funding and infrastructure.”

Reference: Patralekh, M.; Vaishya, R.; & Vaish, A. (2024). Impact of COVID-19 on Indian biomedical research: A bibliometric analysis using online data from 2017 to 2022. AWARI; X, 1-13. DOI: 10.47909/awari.65