SynthesisPloS one2021
Reduction in hospitalised COPD exacerbations during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 112 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
112 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 307 citations in OpenAlex.
- Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among Indian adults: systematic review and meta‑analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Ivacaftor-tezacaftor-elexacaftor, tezacaftor-ivacaftor and lumacaftor-ivacaftor for treating cystic fibrosis: a systematic review and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Bisoprolol for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at high risk of exacerbation: the BICS RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Trial
- Home high-flow therapy during recovery from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation: a mixed-methods feasibility randomised control trial.BMJ open respiratory research · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Cardiovascular and mortality risks following COVID-19-related versus non-COVID-19-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2026Article
- Forecasting the Multidimensional Burdens of Hospital Admissions in LRTIs and COPD: Projections of Healthcare Expenditures, Resource Utilization, and Socioeconomic and Environmental Outcomes for Switzerland.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- Review
- Socioeconomic determinants of COVID-19 vaccination and mortality: a cross-national path analysis.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Trends in pneumothorax mortality in England (2004-2023): a population-based observational study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: A Narrative Review of Long-Term Consequences and Vaccination Strategies.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Outcomes in heart failure patients with third-degree heart block during COVID-19.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Article
- Frequency of Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with COPD Exacerbation and Clinical and Laboratory Predictive Factors.Advanced biomedical research · 2026Article
- Global, regional, and national burden of chronic respiratory diseases and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1990-2023: a Global Burden of Disease study.Nature medicine · 2026Article
- Hospitalizations and inpatient resource consumption of patients suffering from chronic disease - Past trend and forecast for Switzerland.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Acute coronary syndrome after an infective exacerbation of COPD: a prospective cohort study of acute lower respiratory tract disease in hospitalised adults.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Article
- Unmasking the true value of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on outcomes of COPD patients in Turkey: lessons for the future.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2025Article
52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundReports have suggested a reduction in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly hospital admissions for severe exacerbations. However, the magnitude of this reduction varies between studies.
methodElectronic databases were searched from January 2020 to May 2021. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts and, when necessary, full text to determine if studies met inclusion criteria. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. A narrative summary of eligible studies was synthesised, and meta-analysis was conducted using a random effect model to pool the rate ratio and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for hospital admissions. Exacerbation reduction was compared against the COVID-19 Containment and Health Index.
resultsA total of 13 of 745 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review, with data from nine countries. Nine studies could be included in the meta-analysis. The pooled rate ratio of hospital admissions for COPD exacerbations during the pandemic period was 0.50 (95% CI 0.44-0.57). Findings on the rate of community-treated exacerbations were inconclusive. Three studies reported a significant decrease in the incidence of respiratory viral infections compared with the pre-pandemic period. There was not a significant relationship between exacerbation reduction and the COVID-19 Containment and Health Index (rho = 0.20, p = 0.53).
conclusionThere was a 50% reduction in admissions for COPD exacerbations during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic times, likely associated with a reduction in respiratory viral infections that trigger exacerbations. Future guidelines should consider including recommendations on respiratory virus infection control measures to reduce the burden of COPD exacerbations beyond the pandemic period.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.