Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on scientific research and implications for clinical academic training – A review

A pneumonia outbreak of unknown aetiology emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The causative organism was identified on 7th January 2020 as a novel coronavirus (nCoV or 2019-nCoV), later renamed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The resulting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected over 88 million individuals, resulted in over 1.9 million deaths, and has led to an unprecedented impact on research activities worldwide. Extraordinary challenges have also been imposed on medical and surgical trainees following redeployment to full-time clinical duties. Moreover, the introduction of travel restrictions and strict lockdown measures have forced the closure of many institutions and laboratories working on research unrelated to the pandemic. The lockdown has similarly stifled supply chains and slowed research and development endeavours, whilst research charities have endured significant financial strains that have since reshaped the allocation and availability of funds. However, worldwide scientific adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic has been observed through unprecedented levels of international collaboration alongside the uprise of remote telecommunication platforms. Although the long-term consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic on research and academic training is difficult to ascertain, the current crises will inevitably shape working and teaching patterns for years to come. To this end, we provide a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on scientific research and funding, as well as academic medical and surgical training.