Cardiovascular clinical trials in the era of a pandemic.

COVID-19 has reached pandemic levels in March 2020 and impacted public health with unpredictable consequences. The conduct of clinical research in areas unrelated to COVID-19 has been disrupted and will be further affected. Researchers, trial participants and study personnel have to overcome challenges to sustain proper and safe conduct of clinical trials (i.e. logistical challenges, lower enrollment than expected, difficulties in follow-up and outcome assessment/adjudication, incomplete data collection, research funding prolongation).