Papers Published about COVID-19

Over the summer of 2020, Grade 11 student Aanandita used the time to learn how to write a systematic review of literature, and co-authored two research papers related to COVID-19: on the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals; and the impact of the virus on healthcare workers. Both papers have now been published on MedRxiv, a platform for non-peer-reviewed journals. Since being published the papers have received 32 citations. We got in touch with Aanandita to hear more about the papers and how she went about writing them.

I would like to pursue medicine and improve the healthcare system of India in a way that all parties are benefited – Aanandita, Grade 11

Inspired by the uncertainties and miscommunications surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the global pandemic and how it affects front line workers, Aanandita wrote one literature review on the effect of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine on the virus. “My main motive while writing this literature review was to assimilate all the information on these drugs in one place so that it would much easier to comprehend their effectiveness”, explains Aanandita who took data from pre-existing researches and collated them into one.

The other paper that Aanandita co-authored was about the infection and fatalities of doctors in India as a result of COVID-19. “When I looked at the statistics of these deaths, I was shocked and wanted to bring attention to the risk the doctors are facing during pandemic”, says Aanandita who used articles from over 30 media outlets, most of which were taken from IMA, the Indian Medical Association, website. “I am very passionate about medicine and grateful for what the doctors do for us”, concludes Aanandita, who wants to erase the ignorance surrounding the death of doctors due to the virus.

To learn more and to read the papers, here are the links:

- Role of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection- A Systematic Literature Review

- Covid-19 related deaths among doctors in India