Top Things to Know: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Science
Published: November 01, 2021
Prepared by Prashant Nedungadi, PhD, Director- Stroke Guidelines
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the biomedical scientific research enterprise in the US and globally.
- The presidential advisory highlights the key areas of impact on cardiovascular science and calls for key actions to help address the crisis so that the cardiovascular research workforce can regain its footing to build science back better.
- Basic, clinical and population science were altered as research stopped, slowed, or shifted to COVID-19. Researchers, and particularly early career investigators, women, and those from underrepresented groups in medicine, experienced enormous challenges. The relationship between the scientific community and the broader society was also challenged.
- The specific challenges to basic, clinical and population research in cardiovascular science includes loss/downsizing of cell lines and animals for research, disrupted supply chain for reagents/equipment, core facility closures, reduced hiring of fellows/staff/students, physician scientists redeployed to clinical care duties, slower progress in non-COVID research areas, study recruitment issues and reduced research funding.
- Some specific positive impact and opportunities on basic, clinical and population research in cardiovascular science include increased global collaboration, increased use of virtual communication platforms, new scientific discoveries, open access literature, rapid scientific communication, increased public engagement in science and initial increased productivity in grants and manuscripts.
- The enhancement of broad public trust in biomedical science and the medical community is crucial and will require concerted actions on several fronts to lead to enduring change. Foremost, negative attitudes towards vaccinations have emerged as a barrier to stemming the global pandemic and its economic impact, especially in communities at higher risk for infection.
- AHA’s response to COVID-19 included 1) flexible re-budgeting and no cost extensions to mitigate the challenges of AHA-funded researchers, 2) providing new support for COVID-19 research as the health impact of the coronavirus infection became clear 3) providing supplemental funding for early career awardees and 4) ensuring key discoveries related to COVID-19 were rapidly and clearly communicated to the scientific community, including establishing a collection of resources for healthcare systems, clinicians, patients, and the general public.
- A long-term commitment to increase funding for education is needed, which by improving scientific and statistical literacy will make our future society more resilient. These efforts must be spread equitably throughout society to ensure that all segments of society can benefit and remain protected from disinformation.
- The pandemic has demonstrated that science can bring great advances and insights, and that new ways of conducting science and collaborating may be imminent.
- A renewed public commitment to funding science and scientists is warranted if society is to reap the benefits of all that science has to offer. The AHA, with its partners, intends to lead the way.
Citation
McNally EM, Elkind MSV, Benjamin IJ, Chung MK, Dillon GH, Hernandez AF, Ibeh C, Lloyd-Jones DM, McCullough LD, Wold LE, Wright DR, Wu JC; on behalf of the American Heart Association. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular science: anticipating problems and potential solutions: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association [published online ahead of print November 1, 2021]. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001027