National Guidelines for Ethics Committees Reviewing Biomedical & Health Research during COVID-19 Pandemic: An analysis

Abstract

The world currently faces an unprecedented pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The novel nature of the virus and very high infection rates have not only increased the urgency to find a vaccine or cure but have also led to drastic changes in the mode of conduct of research. Thus, the Indian Council of Medical Research has developed the "National Guidelines for Ethics Committees Reviewing Biomedical & Health Research during Covid-19 Pandemic" for guidance during the review of research. Here, we attempt to analyse the strengths and limitations of these guidelines to assess if the unique ethical challenges faced during research in the current situation are adequately identified and addressed and if foundational values and principles of research ethics have been taken into account in these guidelines.