Co-evolution of COVID-19 Research and China’s Policies

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-69819/v1

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Co-evolution of COVID-19 Research and China’s Policies

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-69819/v1

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The dynamics of research are a prism that reflects interactions between science, the societal environment, and government policies. Against the backdrop of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, this study explored the changes in, and development of, COVID-19 research in the period from December 30, 2019 to April 27, 2020. The study observes a salient change in research content: an earlier focus on “all patients”, “common symptoms”, and “nucleic acid test” was gradually replaced by a focus on “children”, “pregnant patients”, “severe symptoms”, and a combination of “nucleic acid test” and “antibody assay”. Some topics such as “vaccine R&D”, “knowledge, attitude, and practice” (KAP), and “mental health” were persistent throughout the recent history of China’s COVID-19 research. This study also reveals a correlation between the evolution of COVID-19 policies and the dynamic development of COVID-19 research. In the early stage of the outbreak in China, the formulation of COVID-19 policies followed a rapidly-progressing co-evolutionary model (CEM). The results of this study apply more broadly to the formulation of policies in public health emergencies, especially in the early stages.

Health Policy

Scientific Communication

COVID-19

China

Scientific research

Policy

Co-evolutionary model

Competing interests: The authors declare that there are no competing interests

Table 1: Stages of rising heat for various clusters in China’s COVID-19 research and release dates of relevant policies/guidelines

Cluster	Release dates of relevant policies or guidelines (a)	Stages of rising heat for clusters of research topics (b)
		Stages of rising heat for clusters of research topics (b)		Interval between the first date of a and that of b
		Time span	Average growth rate	Interval between the first date of a and that of b
Mental health	1.27 – 4.7	2.7 – 4.17	29.64%	11d
Children	1.28 - 3.14	2.17 – 4.7	67.01%	20d
Pregnant women	2.2 - 3.4	2.7 – 3.28	59.90%	5d
Severe patients	2.21 - 4.1	2.27 – 3.18	62.03%	6d
Antibody test	3.4 - 4.19	3.28 – 4.17	42.12%	14d

Note: At the time of writing, there is no information available involving COVID-19 policies specific to vaccines and KAP.

Table 2: Stages of rising heat for different items in China’s COVID-19 research and release dates of relevant policies and guidelines

Item	Stage of rising heat	Relevant policies or guidelines in early stage		Relevant policies or guidelines in late stage
Item	Stage of rising heat	Name	Release date	Name	Release date
Chloroquine	2.17 - 2.27	Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol of COVID-19 (Trial Version 6)	2.19	Notice on Adjusting the Usage and Dosage of Chloroquine Phosphate in Treating COVID- 19 on a Trial Basis	2.28
Mask	2.17 - 3.18	Notice on Issuing the Technical Guidelines on the Selection and Use of Masks used for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in Different Populations	2.5	Notice on Issuing the Guidelines on the Scientific Wearing of Masks	3.18
University	3.18 - 3.28	Notice on Conducting Scientific and Precise Prevention and Control of COVID- 19 according to Law	2.25	Notice on Issuing the Technical Guidelines on Prevention and Control of COVID- 19 in Institutions of Higher Learning	4.14
Asymptomatic disease	2.17 - 3.8 3.28 - 4.7	Protocol for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 (Trial Version 3)	1.25	Code for Management of Asymptomatic Carriers of SARS-CoV-2	4.6
Asymptomatic infection	2.27 - 3.8		1.25		4.6
Isolation relief	2.27 - 3.8	Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol of COVID-19 (Trial Version 6)	2.19	Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol of COVID-19 (Trial Version 7)	3.4
Plasma	2.27 - 3.8	Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol of COVID-19 (Trial Version 6)	2.19	Notice on Issuing the Scheme of Clinical Treatment Using the Convalescent Plasma of COVID-19 Survivors (Trial Version 2)13	3.4

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