Article published on MedShr: 24th December 2020
Last updated: 24th December 2020

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate and current at time of publication, but if you notice an error please contact covid@medshr.net and we will aim to address this. Please find MedShr’s full terms of service here.

The MedShr team is grateful to have had the opportunity to try and support healthcare professionals (HCPs) around the world caring for patients with COVID-19 with educational resources and a platform to share experience and peer-to-peer learning.

This work has been supported by the Austrian Development Agency, with some specific COVID-19 content being focussed particularly for healthcare professionals working in Africa and the Middle East. 

Throughout 2020, work on this programme has included:

• Developing the COVID-19 Hub on MedShr Open, where articles, resources and data have been shared over the past 8 months. This included daily updates starting on March 19th, and then moving to a more detailed weekly update beginning on 4th May 2020. The team have also shared articles with a focus on reviewing available resources on a range of topics and bringing these together in one location to allow HCPs access this information easily.

• Launching COVID-19 Case Discussion groups, focussed on allowing HCPs to share experience and knowledge of caring for patients with SARS-CoV-2 to a global network, and allow examples of clinical findings or investigations associated with COVID-19 to be shared anonymously for educational purposes.

• Launching the Let’s Beat COVID app to help provide healthcare services around the world with more accurate information about the spread of COVID-19, and to provide individuals with up to date guidance based on their symptoms and exposure. This also included running crowdfunding to source essential PPE for the NHS.

The following article aims to provide an overview of some of this content and link to useful resources to allow HCPs to continue to stay up-to-date with the latest developments. 

Looking forward to 2021, the MedShr team hopes to continue to support HCPs with these resources as an approach to empowering peer-to-peer learning, with the aim of improving overall patient care.

We wish all our members a happy and safe time over the holiday season.

The MedShr Open Editorial Team

The COVID-19 Hub on MedShr Open was launched to create a resource with the latest data, research, news, and resources of use for HCPs during the pandemic. A selection of some of the content and articles shared over the past year are included below. 

Please note that although every effort has been made to ensure the information contained within these articles is accurate at time of publication, due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the content and data in some of the articles may now not reflect current knowledge and understanding related to COVID-19.

Muslim faith and COVID-19: Do faith communities limit or increase the spread of the new Coronavirus?
23rd April 2020

Guest Editorial by Professor Asif Ahmed, Dr Alzahrani, and Dr Varney.

Supportive and Palliative Care for COVID-19
12th June 2020

COVID-19 in Paediatrics and Neonates
4th August 2020

COVID-19 in Pregnancy
11th August 2020

Podcast on Rox Heart Radio: Roxana Mehran discusses cardiology meetings during Covid-19 with Ron Blankstein and Asif Qasim
10th September 2020

COVID-19 Public Health: Seasonal Influenza
21st October 2020

Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: Current vaccination programmes (1) - key issues
4th November 2020

Long-term Effects of COVID-19: Long COVID
26th November 2020

Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: Drug Treatments
17th December 2020

The COVID-19 Case Discussion groups were established with the intention of providing a space for HCPs to share experiences of caring for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 around the world. Peer-to-peer learning through anonymous case discussion and sharing adaptive responses to some of the challenges posed by the global pandemic aims to ensure HCPs can learn from each other with the ultimate intention of trying to improve patient care in these challenging times.

You can join the COVID-19 Case Discussion groups by clicking on the group icons below:

There has been a vast amount of research published since the beginning of the pandemic. Data on LitCovid, a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about COVID-19, reports a peak number of papers published in one week sitting at 4286 papers between 24th August and 30th August 2020.

Trying to navigate this expanding catalogue of information to remain up-to-date with the latest developments is challenging, especially alongside clinical practice. Below is a list of some of the significant or influential papers published on COVID-19 during 2020, but please note this is a non-exhaustive list intended for reference only. Links to further catalogues and analysis of research can be found in the useful resources centre below, and a summary of reviews and guidance from Cochrane is available here.

Early Reports in Scientific Literature

The Lancet: Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China
24th January 2020

Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):497-506. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30183-5. Epub 2020 Jan 24. Erratum in: Lancet. 2020 Jan 30;: PMID: 31986264; PMCID: PMC7159299.

The Lancet: A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster
24th January 2020

Chan JF, Yuan S, Kok KH, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):514-523. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9. Epub 2020 Jan 24. PMID: 31986261; PMCID: PMC7159286.

Drug and Other Treatments for COVID-19:

BMJ: A living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19
Published 4th September 2020 (current version: Update 2, 17th December 2020)

Rochwerg B, Agoritsas T, Lamontagne F, et al. Update 2: A living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19. BMJ. 2020 Sep 4;370:m3379. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m3379. PMID: 32887691.

NEJM: Dexamethasone in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 - Preliminary Report
17th July 2020

RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Horby P, Lim WS, Emberson JR, et al. Dexamethasone in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 - Preliminary Report. N Engl J Med. 2020 Jul 17:NEJMoa2021436. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2021436. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32678530; PMCID: PMC7383595.

NEJM: Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for Covid-19 - Interim WHO Solidarity Trial Results
December 2, 2020

WHO Solidarity Trial Consortium, Pan H, Peto R, Henao-Restrepo AM, et al. Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for Covid-19 - Interim WHO Solidarity Trial Results. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 2. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2023184. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33264556.

NEJM: Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19
19th November 2020

RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Horby P, Mafham M, Linsell L, et al. Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020 Nov 19;383(21):2030-2040. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2022926. Epub 2020 Oct 8. PMID: 33031652; PMCID: PMC7556338.

NEJM: Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 — Final Report
5th November 2020

Beigel JH, Tomashek KM, Dodd LE, et al. Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 - Final Report [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 8]. N Engl J Med. 2020;NEJMoa2007764. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2007764

BMJ: Convalescent plasma in the management of moderate covid-19 in adults in India: open label phase II multicentre randomised controlled trial (PLACID Trial)
22th October 2020

Agarwal A, Mukherjee A, Kumar G, Chatterjee P, Bhatnagar T, Malhotra P; PLACID Trial Collaborators. Convalescent plasma in the management of moderate covid-19 in adults in India: open label phase II multicentre randomised controlled trial (PLACID Trial). BMJ. 2020 Oct 22;371:m3939. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m3939. PMID: 33093056; PMCID: PMC7578662.

NEJM: A Randomized Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 Severe Pneumonia
24th November 2020

Simonovich VA, Burgos Pratx LD, Scibona P, et al. A Randomized Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 Severe Pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2020 Nov 24. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2031304. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33232588.

Vaccines:

The Lancet: Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK
8th December 2020

Voysey M, Clemens SAC, Madhi SA, et al. Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK. Lancet. 2020 Dec 8:S0140-6736(20)32661-1. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32661-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33306989; PMCID: PMC7723445.

NEJM: Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine
10th December 2020

Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, et al. Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 10. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034577. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33301246.

Pathophysiology and Mechanisms

NEJM: Humoral Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland
29th October 2020

Gudbjartsson DF, Norddahl GL, Melsted P, et al. Humoral Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland. N Engl J Med. 2020 Oct 29;383(18):1724-1734. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026116. Epub 2020 Sep 1. PMID: 32871063; PMCID: PMC7494247.

Science: Robust neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 infection persist for months
4th December 2020

Wajnberg A, Amanat F, Firpo A, et al. Robust neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 infection persist for months. Science. 2020 Oct 28:eabd7728. doi: 10.1126/science.abd7728. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33115920.

Epidemiology and Public Health Strategies

The Lancet: Lessons learnt from easing COVID-19 restrictions: an analysis of countries and regions in Asia Pacific and Europe
24th September 2020

Han E, Tan MMJ, Turk E, et al. Lessons learnt from easing COVID-19 restrictions: an analysis of countries and regions in Asia Pacific and Europe. Lancet. 2020 Nov 7;396(10261):1525-1534. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32007-9. Epub 2020 Sep 24. PMID: 32979936; PMCID: PMC7515628.

Circulation: Association of Body Mass Index and Age With Morbidity and Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: Results From the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry
17th November 2020

Hendren NS, de Lemos JA, Ayers C, et al. Association of Body Mass Index and Age With Morbidity and Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: Results From the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry. Circulation. 2020 Nov 17. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.051936. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33200947.

PLOS One: Barriers and facilitators of adherence to social distancing recommendations during COVID-19 among a large international sample of adults
7th October 2020

Coroiu A, Moran C, Campbell T, Geller AC. Barriers and facilitators of adherence to social distancing recommendations during COVID-19 among a large international sample of adults. PLoS One. 2020 Oct 7;15(10):e0239795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239795. PMID: 33027281; PMCID: PMC7540845.

BMJ Global Health: Infection and mortality of healthcare workers worldwide from COVID-19: a systematic review
4th December 2020

Bandyopadhyay S, Baticulon RE, Kadhum M, et al. Infection and mortality of healthcare workers worldwide from COVID-19: a systematic review. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 Dec;5(12):e003097. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003097. PMID: 33277297.

Long COVID:

BMJ: Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care
11th August 2020

Greenhalgh T, Knight M, A'Court C, Buxton M, Husain L. Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care. BMJ. 2020 Aug 11;370:m3026. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m3026. PMID: 32784198.

National Institute for Health Research: Themed Review - Living with Covid19
15th October 2020

National Institute for Health Research. Themed Review - Living with Covid19. 2020 Oct 15. DOI: 10.3310/themedreview_41169 

Thorax: 'Long-COVID': a cross-sectional study of persisting symptoms, biomarker and imaging abnormalities following hospitalisation for COVID-19
10th November 2020

Mandal S, Barnett J, Brill SE, et al. 'Long-COVID': a cross-sectional study of persisting symptoms, biomarker and imaging abnormalities following hospitalisation for COVID-19. Thorax. 2020 Nov 10:thoraxjnl-2020-215818. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215818. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33172844; PMCID: PMC7661378.

Effects on Mental Health

WHO: The impact of COVID-19 on mental, neurological and substance use services: results of a rapid assessment
5th October 2020

World Health Organization. The impact of COVID-19 on mental, neurological and substance use services: results of a rapid assessment. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

The Lancet Psychiatry: Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal probability sample survey of the UK population
21st July 2020

Pierce M, Hope H, Ford T, et al. Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal probability sample survey of the UK population. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;7(10):883-892. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30308-4. Epub 2020 Jul 21. PMID: 32707037; PMCID: PMC7373389.

Effects of COVID-19 on low-resource regions

Science: The impact of COVID-19 and strategies for mitigation and suppression in low- and middle-income countries
24th July 2020

Walker PGT, Whittaker C, Watson OJ, et al. The impact of COVID-19 and strategies for mitigation and suppression in low- and middle-income countries. Science. 2020 Jul 24;369(6502):413-422. doi: 10.1126/science.abc0035. Epub 2020 Jun 12. PMID: 32532802; PMCID: PMC7292504.

The Lancet Global Health: Early estimates of the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study 
12th May 2020

Roberton T, Carter ED, Chou VB, et al. Early estimates of the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Jul;8(7):e901-e908. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30229-1. Epub 2020 May 12. PMID: 32405459; PMCID: PMC7217645.

BMC Infectious Diseases: Implications of COVID-19 in high burden countries for HIV/TB: A systematic review of evidence
9th October 2020

Tamuzi JL, Ayele BT, Shumba CS, et al. Implications of COVID-19 in high burden countries for HIV/TB: A systematic review of evidence. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 9;20(1):744. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05450-4. PMID: 33036570; PMCID: PMC7545798.

BMJ: CPAP management of COVID-19 respiratory failure: a first quantitative analysis from an inpatient service evaluation
4th November 2020

Ashish A, Unsworth A, Martindale J, Sundar R, Kavuri K, Sedda L, Farrier M. CPAP management of COVID-19 respiratory failure: a first quantitative analysis from an inpatient service evaluation. BMJ Open Respir Res. 2020 Nov;7(1):e000692. doi: 10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000692. PMID: 33148777; PMCID: PMC7643430.

One focus of the MedShr Open educational content has been providing healthcare professionals with useful resources focussed on maintaining personal health and wellbeing whilst managing the challenges posed by the pandemic. Some highlights include:

Returning to Medicine in the COVID-19 pandemic
21st March 2020

Guest Editorial by Dr Rachel Rummery, Health Education England Clinical Lead - Return to Practice, and Specialist Registrar - Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology

Evidence-based mental health apps to get through COVID-19
31st March 2020

An emotional survival guide for COVID-19
30th March 2020

Interview: How is COVID-19 Affecting UK Medical Students?
7th April 2020

Considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education for medical students, including a follow-up interview (12th June 2020).

World Health Organization

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic - COVID-19 Home Page, including links to regional offices

• COVID-19 vaccines - WHO Vaccine Information

Research related to COVID-19

Below is a list of links to organisations who are making great efforts to categorise, evaluate and summarise the vast catalogue of COVID-19 research. If you discover any other great resources please feel free to share these in the comments section below.

Global research on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - WHO Global research database and links to further research catalogues

LitCovid - a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about COVID-19

Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Initiative - PubMed Central

COVID-19 Science Updates - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines - National Institutes for Health

ClinicalTrials.gov - COVID-19 clinical trials

Finding the evidence: Coronavirus – Knowledge & Library Services - Public Health England

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Cochrane resources and news - Cochrane