Six Covid-19 studies are underway in Bahrain, with three others submitted for publication.
The papers are on vaccinations and the use of rapid antigen tests, while those awaiting approval include an epidemiological assessment of reinfection.
The ongoing research and publications contribute to the country’s efforts in tackling the virus, by keeping the public aware transparently of developments, said a senior Bahraini researcher.
“We’re proud of these exemplary efforts, as the effective link between making people aware of the findings of scientific research is one of the signs of progress,” said Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) studies and research director Dr Omar Al Ubaidly.
Bahrain has to date contributed to 30 scientific papers related to Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
The GDN reported in September that 23 studies on the coronavirus were published since September 2020; 12 papers were published in 2020, 15 last year and three this year.
National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19) monitoring committee head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani has taken part in all the studies.
Among the ongoing research projects, four focus on vaccines, while two others study rapid antigen tests. Two papers are on the safety and efficacy of booster vaccines – one aims to compare the safety and efficacy of homologous (same as the primary vaccine) and heterologous (different from the primary vaccine) booster doses, the other solely focuses on Sputnik V booster doses versus others.
Another study is on vaccine safety and immunogenicity (the ability of a foreign substance, such as an antigen, to provoke an immune response in the body of a human or other animal) of Covid-19 inoculation in children aged from three to 11.
A cross-sectional study on the acceptance of a Covid-19 vaccination among healthcare workers in Bahrain is the fourth study.
The remaining two are on rapid antigen tests and its role in reopening schools and the use of Panbio kits for mass screening in Bahrain.
Of the four papers that have been submitted for publication, one has been accepted by the Nature Scientific Reports, an online peer-reviewed journal published by Nature Portfolio. The study deals with recovery patterns across Alpha and Delta variants of Covid-19 in Bahrain.
The three awaiting approval are on the treatment of Covid-19 with Favipiravir versus hydroxychloroquine, morbidity and mortality from Covid-19 post-vaccination breakthrough infections in association with vaccines and the emergence of variants in Bahrain and epidemiological assessment of Covid-19 reinfection in Bahrain. All have been submitted to Nature Scientific Reports.
The list of research papers, as updated by the task force, include six on epidemiology and public health, three on diagnostic topics, 15 on clinical and treatment protocols of Covid-19 and three on Covid-19 vaccines. Two others are listed under guidelines and recommendations published by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The latest study on Alpha and Delta variants published last week is yet to be listed.
Bahrain has also published four pre-prints which are versions of scientific manuscripts posted on a public server prior to formal professional review.
All analyses are published in regional and international scientific journals and platforms, including Medrxiv under Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Research Square, California-based Cureus Journal of Medical Science, Frontiers in Immunology, the official journal of the International Union of Immunological Societies, US-National Library of Medicine and Atlantis Press, as well as Bahrain Medical Society and WHO, among others.
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