How have COVID-19 stringency measures changed scholarly activity?

Abstract

Government restrictions to the movement of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a wide range of effects on scientific activity. Here, we show that during the pandemic there has been a reduction in the number of registered non-COVID-19 clinical trials. Furthermore, using the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker Stringency Index (SI) as an indicator of COVID-19–related workplace adjustment (e.g., restrictions on gatherings, workplace closures, and stay-at-home orders), we demonstrate that this drop in clinical trial registration has been greater in countries with a higher SI. This could have significant consequences for the discovery of treatments that are required to reduce the global burden of disease.