Revisiting Scientific Research Amidst the Unexpected COVID-19 Pandemic: Sustenance, Resumption and Recommendations

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the global scientific community including those in Malaysia. Researchers should essentially learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to become more resilient in the future. The present paper highlights our experience from sustaining research output throughout the lockdown restrictions to jump-starting and driving the newly gained momentum of research activities after the lockdown period. We also suggested some practical ways in terms of acquisition and handling of human biological samples for research and replacement of site visits with telemedicine that can drive non-COVID-19 related clinical-based research forward during the course of a pandemic. We then recommended a few measures that can be taken by research centres and institutions of higher learning as well as researchers to move their wet laboratory- or clinical-based research forward during potential outbreaks in the future.