The Most Influential COVID-19 Articles: A Systematic Review

Background: Since December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has posed a Pandemic to global health with challenges for the health care system all around the world. Researchers studied and published on the SARS-CoV-2 and the disease intensively. 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 analyse rating using Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) were performed. Results: Hundred most cited COVID-19 articles were identified;54 of than were from China, followed by United States of America (USA) (n = 21);United Kingdom (UK) (n = 8). All articles were published in high-ranked, peer-reviewed journals. Main focus of the articles were diagnosis, transmission and therapy of COVID-19. The level of evidence of the 100 most cited COVID-19 articles in average was low. Conclusion: In the early stages of a pandemic, new and pioneering research results can be shown to emerge and be highly cited, regardless of the level of evidence.