The most influential COVID-19 articles: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2),causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has triggered a pandemic with challenges for health care systems around the world. Researchers have studied and published on the subject of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease extensively. What is the significance of articles published, shared and cited in the early stages of such a pandemic? MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search in a time frame of 12 months and analysis rating using Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) were performed. RESULTS: The 100 most cited COVID-19 articles were identified. The majority of these articles were from China (n = 54), followed by United States of America (USA) (n = 21) and United Kingdom (UK) (n = 8). All articles were published in high-ranked, peer-reviewed journals, with research focusing onthe the diagnosis, transmission and therapy of COVID-19. The level of evidence of the 100 most cited COVID-19 articles on average was low. CONCLUSION: In the early stages of a pandemic, new and innovative research can emerge and be highly cited, regardless of the level of evidence.