Recruitment
Due to the rapidly evolving pandemic situation, we have a strong uncertainty about the pace of enrolment. There is likely to be considerable variation in the number of COVID-19 infections requiring hospitalisation in different regions. The pragmatic pre-specified meta-analysis design overcomes recruitment difficulties that could occur in the individual studies given the international dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research coordinators and investigators at each site and for each study will work with clinicians to identify potential candidates for enrolment. Logs will be maintained of patients who met the inclusion criteria but were not enrolled, with the reason for exclusion recorded on the log.