BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the challenge of swiftly disseminating research findings to a global audience. Language barriers further exacerbated disparities in access to timely scientific information, particularly for non-English speaking communities.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to assess the impact and significance of AccesoCovid.com, a platform that disseminated up-to-date COVID-19 research in both English and Spanish, addressing the language gap in scientific communication.
METHODS
AccesoCovid.com was developed through a partnership between the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The website's performance and user engagement were evaluated using Google Analytics, capturing metrics such as user language preference, geographical distribution, and site traffic over a span of two years.
RESULTS
From February 2021 to February 2023, the platform attracted 57,000 users, 84% of whom hailed from Spanish-speaking regions. The majority accessed the site organically through search engines. The website summarized and translated 1,032 articles, with "Pharmaceutical Interventions and Vaccines" being the most accessed category.
CONCLUSIONS
AccesoCovid.com successfully bridged a critical language gap in the dissemination of COVID-19 research. Its success indicates a pressing need for multilingual scientific resources, emphasizing the potential for such platforms to ensure equitable access to scientific knowledge across diverse linguistic communities.