This page highlights content relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the various related activities that Cochrane is undertaking in response. We have been amazed and humbled by the staggering response from our Community across the world who have contributed and engaged with our efforts to date.
Below is a work-in-progress and we will be continuously adding updates and additions to this page. Sections include:
- Providing trusted evidence
- Special Collections
- Rapid Reviews
- Fast-tracked, prioritized updates
- Supporting our Cochrane Community
- Looking ahead
- Trusted resources
Latest news:
Updated 25 March: A new Special Collection on working from home is being worked on.
Updated 24 March: An update to the Special Collections we are currently exploring and working on. COVID-19: Making sense of health information - a guide for public with helpful resources added.
Updated 23 March: An update on Cochrane's work on Rapid Reviews in response to COVID-19.
Updated 21 March - Work has started on creating a special edition of the Cochrane Library app with related COVID-19 evidence, update to Cochrane Colloquium plans, and the Cochrane Community shares pictures of their work-from-home situations.
Providing trusted evidence
We know that basic science research and innovation will be vital in containing and mitigating the effects of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Cochrane can respond promptly to this unprecedented global health crisis by making our health evidence more accessible and available to those needing to make informed decisions at this time. Cochrane can also take a leadership role in explaining and educating the public about different types of health evidence and how to determine if information they hear is trustworthy.
Initiatives currently underway
- We are making our content openly available on the Wiley Online Library with other relevant content, as well as participating in a broad publishing industry initiative to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and the pace of clinical discovery.
- Shortly, The Cochrane Library will be temporarily unrestricted for everyone, in every country of the world.
- We have launched a campaign to engage those in isolation or practicing social distancing to join us as Citizen Scientists on our Cochrane Crowd platform.
- Cochrane's Evidence Essentials is available for free. It is an online resource offering an introduction to health evidence, and how to use it to make informed health choices
Special Collections
Developed in conjunction with the Cochrane Community and based on World Health Organization interim guidance, these Special Collections assemble Cochrane Reviews in key topic areas relating to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The Cochrane Reviews in these Collections are free to access. These Special Collections also include links to relevant Cochrane Clinical Answers - readable, clinically-focused, actionable answers to inform point-of-care decision-making for health professionals.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): evidence relevant to critical care
This Special Collection brings together Cochrane Reviews identified as most directly relevant to the management of people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections. This collection is currently available in English, Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, Japanese, Bahasa Malaysia and Spanish.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): infection control and prevention measures
This Special Collection brings together Cochrane Reviews identified as most directly relevant to the prevention of infection. This collection is currently available in Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, Japanese, Russia, and Spanish.
In the exploratory and planning stage
- Effective options for quitting smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Working from home
- Remote consultation and telemedicine
- Mental health implications linked to the pandemic
- Mental health for the workforce
- Mental health with relation to post traumatic stress disorder for those in recovery or post-ICU
- Home care for at risk populations
- Creating a special edition of the Cochrane Library app of related COVID-19 Cochrane evidence
Rapid Reviews
We must answer the time-sensitive needs of health decision makers,as fast as possible while simultaneously ensuring that the scientific imperative of methodological rigor is satisfied. In response to this we have
- Created a fast-tracked Editorial Service and documentation
- Created interm methods guidance for rapid reviews
- Prioritized questions while working closely with front-line healthcare workers and health agencies
- Started work on a rapid-review that will focus on several quarantine questions
Updates and further information about our Rapid Review work in response to COVID-19 is available here and we will be updating this page frequently.
Fast-tracked, prioritized updates
We have systematic reviews published that are relevant to COVID-19 that we must ensure are up-to-date with the latest evidence. We are identifying these Cochrane Reviews with our partners and are working to publish these updates with urgency, while maintaining the methodological standards that Cochrane is known for.
Currently underway
Supporting our Cochrane Community
We have created a COVID-19 Working Group consisting of representatives from the Cochrane Public Health and Health Systems Network, Senior Editors, and members from our Geographic and Methods Groups. This group will be meeting weekly and will actively be seeking new funding opportunities to support the creation of a living register of studies and a series of living systematic reviews on vaccines (prevention), diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. They will also be working to help prioritise the different areas of work for Cochrane and liaise with the wider community.
Recent initiatives
- This diverse group will be meeting virtually weekly
- Inviting 'core staff' to use Slack to better facilitate collaborative distance communication as many teams move to work-from-home situations
- Cochrane has extended abstract submission for our annual Cochrane Colloquium until 6 April and will make the decision if the Colloquium will be in-person or virtual by 5 June
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Looking ahead
As an organization, we are planning ahead and taking note of lessons learned. We are committed to creating a living register of studies and a series of living systematic reviews on vaccines (prevention), diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. We aim for these reviews to be fast-tracked for publication in the Cochrane Library in order to support guideline development and, ultimately, preparedness for future outbreaks.
Activities in this area
- The creation of a living repository of studies including gap maps
- Annotating all COVID-19 studies with PICO
- Creating a Task Force to look at themes for upcoming reviews, work through technology challenges, and align Editorial Board members
Trusted Resources
In the ever-changing situation that we are in, it's important to have the latest information but we must ensure they are coming from trust-worthy sources. We have collected a variety of helpful resources related to COVID-19 from our community and partners.
- COVID-19: Making sense of health information is a resource for useful information and free training for the public
- WHO's Myth busters series offers practical advice for the public
- Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility group have gathered important resources, guidance and advice statements from international organizations and societies related to COVID-19, fertility, and pregnancy
- Evidence Aid, who champion evidence-based humanitarian actions, have a collection of summaries of relevant COVID-19 research
