Clinical Infectious Diseases 'Under Review': What Each Status Means and When to Expect a Decision
If your Clinical Infectious Diseases submission shows Under Review, here is what each status means, how long each stage typically takes, and when to follow up.
What to do next
Already submitted to Clinical Infectious Diseases? Use this page to interpret the status and choose the next step.
The useful next step is understanding what the status usually means at Clinical Infectious Diseases, how long the wait normally runs, and when a follow-up is actually reasonable.
Clinical Infectious Diseases review timeline: what the data shows
Time to first decision is the most actionable number. What happens after varies by manuscript and reviewer availability.
What shapes the timeline
- Desk decisions are fast. Scope problems surface within days.
- Reviewer availability is the main variable after triage. Specialized topics take longer to assign.
- Revision rounds reset the clock. Major revision typically adds 6-12 weeks per round.
What to do while waiting
- Track status in the submission portal — status changes signal active review.
- Wait at least the journal's stated median before sending a status inquiry.
- Prepare revision materials in parallel if you expect a revise-and-resubmit decision.
_Last reviewed: 2026-05-16._
Quick answer: If your Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) manuscript shows "Under Review," elapsed time is the reliable signal. Clinical Infectious Diseases has a 2024 JCR impact factor of 11.8, accepts about 20 percent of submissions, and reports a median first-decision time of 4 to 8 weeks. If still Under Review past 2 weeks, you have likely cleared the initial editorial screen.
Submission portal and editorial contact: Clinical Infectious Diseases uses OUP ScholarOne at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cid. Editorial questions go through the OUP author portal at journals.permissions@oup.com, referencing the manuscript ID.
CID desk-rejects roughly 50 to 60 percent of submissions in 7 to 14 days. If past that window, peer review is active.
While you wait
You can't speed up CID's review. A CID submission readiness check flags clinical-relevance gaps, methodology issues, and reporting-checklist completeness that drive most desk rejections, in about 5 minutes.
CID's review pipeline
Status | What is happening | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
Submitted to Journal | Administrative processing | Day 0 to 2 |
With Editor | Editor evaluating desk-screen fit | Days 2 to 14 |
Under Review | Reviewers invited or actively reviewing | Days 14 to 56 |
Required Reviews Complete | Editor synthesizing reports | 5 to 10 days |
Decision in Process | Editor finalizing decision letter | 3 to 7 days |
Decision Sent | Reject, R&R, or accept | Check email |
The editorial desk screen (about 50 to 60 percent rejected)
CID editors evaluate clinical-ID relevance, methodology rigor, and IDSA-audience fit. A desk rejection usually means scope (better fit for a sister IDSA or ID journal), methodology gaps, or weak clinical-decision impact.
Day 0: ScholarOne upload
The mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cid portal accepts the package and routes to an Associate Editor matching the ID subfield.
Days 1 to 14: Editor desk-screen
The handling editor reads the paper, evaluates clinical-ID relevance and methodology, and decides whether to invite reviewers.
Days 14 to 28: Reviewer invitations
CID typically invites two to three reviewers including an ID clinician and a methodologist.
Days 21 to 56: Peer review
Reviewer reports return on a 4 to 8 week cadence.
Days 56 to 84: First editorial decision
Major revision is the most common outcome.
Days 84 to 240: Revision rounds and acceptance
Single-revision acceptances run roughly 4 to 6 months.
When to worry
- Rejection within 1 to 5 days: Administrative issue or scope mismatch.
- Rejection within 7 to 14 days: Desk rejection.
- Still Under Review after 3 weeks: Good sign.
- Still Under Review after 10 weeks: Reviewer delay.
Readiness check
While you wait on Clinical Infectious Diseases, scan your next manuscript.
The scan takes about 1-2 minutes. Use the result to decide whether to revise before the decision comes back.
What to do while waiting
- Do not contact the editorial office during the first 8 weeks unless urgent.
- Prepare a point-by-point response template focused on clinical relevance, methodology details, and reporting-checklist items.
How CID compares to nearby alternatives
Feature | CID | Lancet Infectious Diseases | Journal of Infectious Diseases | Open Forum Infectious Diseases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Desk rejection rate | 50 to 60 percent | 70 to 80 percent | 40 to 50 percent | 30 to 40 percent |
Desk decision speed | 7 to 14 days | 5 to 10 days | 7 to 14 days | 14 to 21 days |
Total review time | 4 to 8 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks |
Editorial bar | Top clinical ID with practice implications | Highest-impact ID with global health | Mechanism-and-translational ID | Open-access ID with broad scope |
Submit if your paper passed the desk
If your CID paper is Under Review past 2 weeks, you have likely cleared the desk screen.
CID submission readiness check. It takes about 1-2 minutes.
Think twice before assuming "Under Review" means safe
CID editors retain discretion to reject after partial review. Our CID manuscript fit check flags clinical-relevance gaps before reviewers do.
For a free pre-upload diagnostic, use the CID manuscript fit check.
Last verified: CID author guidance, OUP ScholarOne portal at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cid, and OUP author portal.
The CID reviewer experience
Reviewer focus area | What CID asks reviewers to evaluate | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
Clinical-ID relevance | Does the finding affect ID practice or interpretation? | Frame around a specific clinical-ID decision |
Methodology rigor | Are diagnostic, therapeutic, or epidemiological methods sound? | Document methods carefully, include power calculations |
Reporting-checklist compliance | CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA/STARD where applicable | Attach completed checklist as supplementary |
Generalist-ID readership | Does this matter to ID clinicians beyond one disease? | Anchor discussion to broader ID principles |
Reproducibility | Could another team reproduce this work? | Provide detailed methods and data-sharing plan |
In our pre-submission review work with CID manuscripts
Three failure patterns generate the most consistent rejections.
Sub-disease specialty framing without generalist-ID translation. CID publishes for clinical ID broadly. Narrow disease focus without broader implications gets desk-rejected.
Reporting-checklist gaps. STROBE for observational, CONSORT for trials, STARD for diagnostic accuracy — must be attached and addressed.
Clinical-decision impact unclear. Reviewers want to know what specific clinical decision changes. The fix is to anchor the discussion to that decision explicitly.
Methodology note
This page was created from CID's public author guidance, OUP ScholarOne documentation, and Manusights review work.
Frequently asked questions
Your manuscript has cleared OUP ScholarOne admin checks and is being evaluated, either by the handling editor or by external peer reviewers. CID treats 'Under Review' as the active editorial period.
CID reports a median first-decision time of 4 to 8 weeks. Desk decisions usually arrive within 1 to 2 weeks; full peer-review decisions land 6 to 12 weeks after submission.
Wait at least 8 weeks before inquiring. Contact the editorial office through the OUP author portal, referencing the manuscript ID.
Your paper passed the desk screen and reviewers are committed. CID typically invites two to three reviewers including an ID clinician and a methodologist.
Yes. The 4 to 8 week median means roughly half of papers take longer. Clinical-trial submissions extend the timeline.
Past 10 weeks is the right moment for a polite, factual inquiry. Past 14 weeks suggests a reviewer dropped out. Silence in the first 5 weeks is normal.
Sources
Best next step
Use this page to interpret the status and choose the next sensible move.
For Clinical Infectious Diseases, the better next step is guidance on timing, follow-up, and what to do while the manuscript is still in the system. Save the Free Readiness Scan for the next paper you have not submitted yet.
Guidance first. Use the scan for the next manuscript.
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Where to go next
Same journal, next question
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Review Time: What Authors Can Actually Expect
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Submission Process: What Happens From Upload to First Decision
- How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Is Clinical Infectious Diseases a Good Journal? Impact, Scope, and Fit
- Clinical Infectious Diseases AI Policy: ChatGPT and Generative AI Disclosure Rules for CID Authors
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Pre Submission Checklist: 12 Items Editors Verify Before Peer Review
Supporting reads
Conversion step
Use this page to interpret the status and choose the next sensible move.
Guidance first. Use the scan for the next manuscript.