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Review

COVID-19 the showdown for mass casualty preparedness and management: The Cassandra Syndrome

Publicated to:World Journal Of Emergency Surgery. 15 (1): - 2020-04-09 15(1), DOI: 10.1186/s13017-020-00304-5

Authors: Coccolini F; Sartelli M; Kluger Y; Pikoulis E; Karamagioli E; Moore EE; Biffl WL; Peitzman A; Hecker A; Chirica M; Damaskos D; Ordonez C; Vega F; Fraga GP; Chiarugi M; Di Saverio S; Kirkpatrick AW; Abu-Zidan F; Mefire AC; Leppaniemi A; Khokha V; Sakakushev B; Catena R; Coimbra R; Ansaloni L; Corbella D; Catena F

Affiliations

Addenbrooke's Hospital , Università degli Studi dell'Insubria - Author
AZIENDA OSPEDALIERO UNIVERSITARIA PISANA - Author
CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE DE GRENOBLE - Author
College of Medicine and Health Sciences United Arab Emirates University - Author
Denver Health - Author
Division of General Surgery - Author
Foothills Medical Centre - Author
Fundación Valle del Lili - Author
Hospital Angeles de las Lomas - Author
Loma Linda University - Author
Macerata Hospital - Author
Maggiore Hospital - Author
Medical University of Plovdiv - Author
Meihlati Hospital - Author
Mozir City Hospital - Author
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Author
NHS Lothian - Author
Ospedale M. Bufalini - Author
Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital - Author
School of Medicine - Author
Scripps Memorial Hospital - Author
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Author
Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Gießen - Author
University of Buea - Author
University of Pittsburgh - Author
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Abstract

Since December 2019, the world is potentially facing one of the most difficult infectious situations of the last decades. COVID-19 epidemic warrants consideration as a mass casualty incident (MCI) of the highest nature. An optimal MCI/disaster management should consider all four phases of the so-called disaster cycle: mitigation, planning, response, and recovery. COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the worldwide unpreparedness to face a global MCI. This present paper thus represents a call for action to solicitate governments and the Global Community to actively start effective plans to promote and improve MCI management preparedness in general, and with an obvious current focus on COVID-19.

Keywords

CoronavirusCovid-19CriticalitiesEpidemiaManagementMass casualtiesPademiaResourceWses

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal World Journal Of Emergency Surgery due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2020, it was in position 2/32, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Emergency Medicine. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations from Scopus Elsevier, it yields a value for the Field-Weighted Citation Impact from the Scopus agency: 6.2, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 19.66 (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-11, the following number of citations:

  • Scopus: 62
  • OpenCitations: 58

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-11:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 324.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 324 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 15.5.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 20 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions on Wikipedia: 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Brazil; Bulgaria; Byelorussia; Cameroon; Canada; Colombia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Israel; Italy; Mexico; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America.