COVID-19: looking forward

There cannot be many people on earth who do not know what COVID-19 means, both virologically and to all of us personally and professionally. This unprecedented global pandemic event has altered everything that is considered normal, including medical publishing. The Internal Medicine Journal (IMJ) has sought for decades to be one vehicle for the dissemination of Australian medical research in our covered fields. Our process of specialty editor allocation, peer review, revision, resubmission and final proofing and typesetting for balanced monthly issues may not be entirely fit for the torrent of publications related to COVID-19 so far, as well as those predicted to be generated over the coming months. These submissions include clinical observations, clinical trials, case series, position statements, clinical guidelines, meta-analyses and – possibly – types of papers that we cannot quite yet anticipate.

Nevertheless, we have a duty to assist in this global effort and to help disseminate rapidly evolving science-based data on this infection and its consequence. Accordingly, you will see new types of papers, as well as unusual lengths, possibly crossing into disciplines not normally covered in IMJ. We will endeavour to turn these important contributions around as quickly as possible. If we make some mistakes, let us know by correspondence. If you wish to submit in a timely fashion, prewarn the editorial office.

All of this is, of course, occurring during a period when the ability to produce a print version of this and other publications is severely curtailed, so I do hope that everyone who needs to see this new and important content is able to do so.

There is some excitement surrounding all of this, tempered by anxiety for ourselves, our families, our patients and – in some cases – our careers. Nevertheless, we hope to assist in the effort to get us to ‘the other side’ of COVID-19 when business is unlikely ever again to be as usual but should return to a new normality.

I welcome all feedback from readers.