Table 2. Data sources, methods and research questions of empirical research related to COVID-19 in LAC countries.
| Number | Percentage of the total number of publications* | |
|---|---|---|
| Data sources | ||
| Directly humans | 889 | 54.7% |
| Databases | 682 | 41.9% |
| Documents | 69 | 4.2% |
| Inert sources | 19 | 1.2% |
| Animals | 3 | 0.2% |
| Not described | 8 | 0.5% |
| Other | 27 | 1.7% |
| Methodology | ||
| Basic sciences | 50 | 3.1% |
| Quantitative | ||
| Cross-sectional study | 564 | 34.7% |
| Modelling study | 285 | 17.5% |
| Randomized controlled trial | 221 | 13.6% |
| Cohort study | 143 | 8.8% |
| Ecological study | 103 | 6.3% |
| Other** | 184 | 11.3% |
| Qualitative | 79 | 4.9% |
| Mixed-methods | 8 | 0.5% |
| Type of research questions | ||
| Exposure, prevalence or incidence | 1079 | 66.4% |
| Benefits and harms of an intervention | 350 | 21.5% |
| Prognosis | 109 | 6.7% |
| Views and preferences | 63 | 3.9% |
| Diagnostic accuracy | 39 | 2.4% |
| Other | 210 | 12.9% |
*% sum more than 100% because one article could have more than one category.
** Other include several types of study design such as time series, before-and-after, case-control, and economic evaluations.