In the year 2020, the Epistemonikos Foundation set out to redirect its efforts towards the topic of COVID-19. Until the year 2022, the following actions stand out:

Software and Tools Development

The Epistemonikos Foundation developed the COVID-19 Living Overview of Evidence (L.OVE), one of the largest and most comprehensive repositories of articles on COVID-19. The platform incorporates information technology and collective intelligence to classify evidence according to different research questions, and multiple tools for the systematic identification of evidence.

During the pandemic, the platform was validated as comprehensive and reliable by our team (Verdugo-Paiva F, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022 doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.05.001) and by independent groups (Butcher R, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.03.006; Pierre O, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.09.022).

Thanks to different collaborative partnerships, the COVID-19 L.OVE was incorporated as a source of evidence in large projects for live evidence synthesis, such as the COVID-19 vaccine pharmacovigilance dashboard of the Pan American Health Organization, COVID-NMA, COVID19 Recommendations, Therapeutics and COVID-19 Living Guideline, among others.

Knowledge Translation and Policy Development

During the pandemic, the Epistemonikos Foundation provided advice, training, and support to multiple organizations in Chile, including the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Institute, the National Consumer Service, the Medical Association, among others.

The Epistemonikos Foundation used the COVID-19 L.OVE and other tools to generate evidence syntheses that were used to support different decision-making processes, including the development of national clinical practice guidelines and guidelines for foreign organizations, systematic reviews, rapid reviews, policy briefs, among others.

The Epistemonikos Foundation partnered with the Latin American media outlet Salud con Lupa to develop "Científicamente Comprobado" (Scientifically Proven), a live report on the evidence about the most popular COVID-19 treatments. The project was selected as a finalist for the Gabo Awards and the Sigma Awards.

Publications

Verdugo-Paiva F, Vergara C, Ávila C, Castro-Guevara JA, Cid J, Contreras V, Jara I, Jiménez V, Lee MH, Muñoz M, Rojas-Gómez AM, Rosón-Rodríguez P, Serrano-Arévalo K, Silva-Ruz I, Vásquez-Laval J, Zambrano-Achig P, Zavadzki G, Rada G. COVID-19 Living OVerview of Evidence repository is highly comprehensive and can be used as a single source for COVID-19 studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022:S0895-4356(22)00117-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.05.001
Zeraatkar, Dena, Pitre, Tyler, Leung, Gareth, Cusano, Ellen, Agarwal, Arnav, Khalid, Faran, Escamilla, Zaira, Cooper, Matthew Adam, Ghadimi, Maryam, Wang, Ying, Verdugo-Paiva, Francisca, Rada, Gabriel, Kum, Elena, Qasim, Anila, Bartoszko, Jessica Julia, Siemieniuk, Reed Alexander Cunningham, Patel, Chirag, Guyatt, Gordon, Brignardello-Petersen, Romina. Consistency of covid-19 trial preprints with published reports and impact for decision making: retrospective review. BMJ Medicine. 2022;1(1):e000309. doi: 10.1136/bmjmed-2022-000309
Davidson M, Menon S, Chaimani A, Evrenoglou T, Ghosn L, Graña C, Henschke N, Cogo E, Villanueva G, Ferrand G, Riveros C, Bonnet H, Kapp P, Moran C, Devane D, Meerpohl JJ, Rada G, Hróbjartsson A, Grasselli G, Tovey D, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Interleukin-1 blocking agents for treating COVID-19. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;1(1):CD015308. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015308
Díaz LA, García-Salum T, Fuentes-López E, Reyes D, Ortiz J, Chahuan J, Levican J, Almonacid LI, Valenzuela GH, Serrano E, Budnik S, Gandara V, Gallardo A, Seydewitz MF, Ferrés M, Cofré C, Álvarez M, Pavez C, Candia R, Monrroy H, Espino A, Rada G, Ortiz L, Valderrama S, Salinas E, Toro A, Ortega M, Pizarro M, Medina RA, Riquelme A. High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 detection and prolonged viral shedding in stools: A systematic review and cohort study. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022:S0210-5705(22)00001-2. doi: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2021.12.009
Izcovich A, Peiris S, Ragusa M, Tortosa F, Rada G, Aldighieri S, Reveiz L. Bias as a source of inconsistency in ivermectin trials for COVID-19: A systematic review. Ivermectin's suggested benefits are mainly based on potentially biased results. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022;144:43-55. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.12.018
Khalil H, Tamara L, Rada G, Akl EA. Challenges of evidence synthesis during the 2020 COVID pandemic: a scoping review. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022;142:10-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.10.017
Nguyen VT, Rivière P, Ripoll P, Barnier J, Vuillemot R, Ferrand G, Cohen-Boulakia S, Ravaud P, Boutron I, Alawadhi S, Amer-Yahia S, Ávila C, Bafeta A, Baudry J, Bollig C, Bonnet H, Boutron I, Bouet M, Cabanac G, Chaimani A, Chavalarias D, Chen Y, Chevance A, Cohen-Boulakia S, Coquery E, Conil F, Davidson M, De Nale L, Devane D, Diard E, Doreau B, Evrenoglou T, Fabri A, Feron G, Ferrand G, Fezeu L, Fouet M, Ghosn El Chall L, Graña C, Grasselli G, Grolleau F, Said Hacid M, Haddy L, Hansen C, Hohlfeld A, Hróbjartsson A, Julia C, Mavridis D, J Meerpohl J, Meyer B, Naidoo N, Nguyen Thu V, Oikonomidi T, Pienaar E, Quirke F, Rada G, Ravaud P, Ripoll P, Riveros C, Rivière P, Sauvant M, Schmucker C, Toumani F, Tovey D, Vuillemot R, Xia J, Yu X, Zoletic E, Zweigenbaum P. Research response to coronavirus disease 2019 needed better coordination and collaboration: a living mapping of registered trials. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021;130:107-116. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.10.010
Yaacoub S, Khabsa J, El-Khoury R, El-Harakeh A, Lotfi T, Saad Z, Itani Z, Khamis AM, El Mikati I, Cuello-Garcia CA, Verdugo-Paiva F, Rada G, Schünemann HJ, Rizk N, Akl EA. COVID-19 transmission during swimming-related activities: a rapid systematic review. BMC Infect Dis. 2021;21(1):1112. doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06802-4
Siemieniuk RA, Bartoszko JJ, Díaz Martinez JP, Kum E, Qasim A, Zeraatkar D, Izcovich A, Mangala S, Ge L, Han MA, Agoritsas T, Arnold D, Ávila C, Chu DK, Couban R, Cusano E, Darzi AJ, Devji T, Foroutan F, Ghadimi M, Khamis A, Lamontagne F, Loeb M, Miroshnychenko A, Motaghi S, Murthy S, Mustafa RA, Rada G, Rochwerg B, Switzer C, Vandvik PO, Vernooij RW, Wang Y, Yao L, Guyatt GH, Brignardello-Petersen R. Antibody and cellular therapies for treatment of covid-19: a living systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2021;374:n2231. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n2231
Antequera A, Lawson DO, Noorduyn SG, Dewidar O, Avey M, Bhutta ZA, Chamberlain C, Ellingwood H, Francis D, Funnell S, Ghogomu E, Greer-Smith R, Horsley T, Juando-Prats C, Jull J, Kristjansson E, Little J, Nicholls SG, Nkangu M, Petticrew M, Rada G, Rizvi A, Shamseer L, Sharp MK, Tufte J, Tugwell P, Verdugo-Paiva F, Wang H, Wang X, Mbuagbaw L, Welch V. Improving Social Justice in COVID-19 Health Research: Interim Guidelines for Reporting Health Equity in Observational Studies. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(17). doi:10.3390/ijerph18179357.
Arce Pardo S, Lai S, Ortiz-Muñoz L, Bravo-Jeria R, Verdugo-Paiva F, Rada G; COVID-19 L·OVE Working Group. Pulmonary rehabilitation for COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol. Medwave. 2021;21(6):e8224. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2021.06.8223.
Bartoszko JJ, Siemieniuk RAC, Kum E, Qasim A, Zeraatkar D, Ge L, Han MA, Sadeghirad B, Agarwal A, Agoritsas T, Chu DK, Couban R, Darzi AJ, Devji T, Ghadimi M, Honarmand K, Izcovich A, Khamis A, Lamontagne F, Loeb M, Marcucci M, McLeod SL, Motaghi S, Murthy S, Mustafa RA, Neary JD, Pardo-Hernandez H, Rada G, Rochwerg B, Switzer C, Tendal B, Thabane L, Vandvik PO, Vernooij RWM, Viteri-García A, Wang Y, Yao L, Ye Z, Guyatt GH, Brignardello-Petersen R. Prophylaxis against covid-19: living systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2021;373:n949. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n949.
Morales MB, Ortiz-Muñoz L, Duarte Anselmi G, Rada G; COVID‐19 L·OVE Working Group. Use of gloves for the prevention of COVID-19 in healthy population: A living systematic review protocol. Health Sci Rep. 2021;4(2):e255. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.255.
Ghosn L, Chaimani A, Evrenoglou T, Davidson M, Graña C, Schmucker C, Bollig C, Henschke N, Sguassero Y, Nejstgaard CH, Menon S, Nguyen TV, Ferrand G, Kapp P, Riveros C, Ávila C, Devane D, Meerpohl JJ, Rada G, Hróbjartsson A, Grasselli G, Tovey D, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Interleukin-6 blocking agents for treating COVID-19: a living systematic review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;3:CD013881. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013881.
Pérez-Gaxiola G, Verdugo-Paiva F, Rada G, Flórez ID. Assessment of Duplicate Evidence in Systematic Reviews of Imaging Findings of Children With COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2032690. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.32690.
Rada G, Corbalán J, Rojas P; COVID-19 L·OVE Working Group. Cell-based therapies for COVID-19: A living, systematic review. Medwave. 2020;20(11):e8079. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.11.8078.
Verdejo C, Vergara-Merino L, Meza N, Pérez-Bracchiglione J, Carvajal-Juliá N, Madrid E, Rada G, Rojas Reyes MX. Macrolides for the treatment of COVID-19: a living, systematic review. Medwave. 2020;20(11):e8074. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.11.8073.
Duarte G, Ortiz-Muñoz L, Morales MB, Acuña MP, Rada G; COVID-19 L·OVE Working Group. Sexual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus and its role in the spread of COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol. Medwave. 2020;20(10):e8062. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.10.8062.
Verdugo-Paiva F, Acuña MP, Solá I, Rada G; COVID-19 L·OVE Working Group. Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19: a living systematic review. Medwave. 2020;20(11):e8080. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.11.8080.
Rada G, Pérez D, Araya-Quintanilla F, Ávila C, Bravo-Soto G, Bravo-Jeria R, Cánepa A, Capurro D, Castro-Gutiérrez V, Contreras V, Edwards J, Faúndez J, Garrido D, Jiménez M, Llovet V, Lobos D, Madrid F, Morel-Marambio M, Mendoza A, Neumann I, Ortiz-Muñoz L, Peña J, Pérez M, Pesce F, Rain C, Rivera S, Sepúlveda J, Soto M, Valverde F, Vásquez J, Verdugo-Paiva F, Vergara C, Zavala C, Zilleruelo-Ramos R; Epistemonikos project. Epistemonikos: a comprehensive database of systematic reviews for health decision-making. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2020;20(1):286. doi: 10.1186/s12874-020-01157-x.
Izcovich A, Ragusa MA, Tortosa F, Lavena Marzio MA, Agnoletti C, Bengolea A, Ceirano A, Espinosa F, Saavedra E, Sanguine V, Tassara A, Cid C, Catalano HN, Agarwal A, Foroutan F, Rada G. Prognostic factors for severity and mortality in patients infected with COVID-19: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020;15(11):e0241955. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241955.
Boutron I, Chaimani A, Meerpohl JJ, Hróbjartsson A, Devane D, Rada G, Tovey D, Grasselli G, Ravaud P. The COVID-NMA Project: Building an Evidence Ecosystem for the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173(12):1015-1017. doi: 10.7326/M20-5261.
Baladia E, Pizarro AB, Ortiz-Muñoz L, Rada G. Vitamin C for COVID-19: A living systematic review. Medwave. 2020;20(6):e7978. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.06.7978.
Siemieniuk RA, Bartoszko JJ, Ge L, Zeraatkar D, Izcovich A, Kum E, Pardo-Hernandez H, Rochwerg B, Lamontagne F, Han MA, Liu Q, Agarwal A, Agoritsas T, Chu DK, Couban R, Darzi A, Devji T, Fang B, Fang C, Flottorp SA, Foroutan F, Heels-Ansdell D, Honarmand K, Hou L, Hou X, Ibrahim Q, Loeb M, Marcucci M, McLeod SL, Motaghi S, Murthy S, Mustafa RA, Neary JD, Qasim A, Rada G, Riaz IB, Sadeghirad B, Sekercioglu N, Sheng L, Sreekanta A, Switzer C, Tendal B, Thabane L, Tomlinson G, Turner T, Vandvik PO, Vernooij RW, Viteri-García A, Wang Y, Yao L, Ye Z, Guyatt GH, Brignardello-Petersen R. Drug treatments for covid-19: living systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2020;370:m2980. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2980.
Verdugo-Paiva F, Izcovich A, Ragusa M, Rada G. Lopinavir-ritonavir for COVID-19: A living systematic review. Medwave. 2020;20(6):e7967. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2020.06.7966.
Santillán-García A, Bravo-Jeria R, Verdugo-Paiva F, Rada G. Living evidence in response to controversies about the use of antimalarials in COVID-19. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2020;73(8):693-694. doi: 10.1016/j.rec.2020.05.016.
Santillán-García A, Bravo-Jeria R, Verdugo-Paiva F, Rada G. [Living evidence in response to controversies about the use of antimalarials in COVID-19]. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2020;73(8):693-694. doi: 10.1016/j.recesp.2020.05.001.
Rada G, Verdugo-Paiva F, Ávila C, et al. Evidence synthesis relevant to COVID-19: a protocol for multiple systematic reviews and overviews of systematic reviews [published correction appears in Medwave. 2020;20(4):e7912]. Síntesis de evidencia relevante para COVID-19: protocolo común para múltiples revisiones sistemáticas y revisiones panorámicas [published correction appears in Medwave. 2020;20(4):e7912]. Medwave. 2020;20(3):e7868. doi:10.5867/medwave.2020.03.7867

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