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Initially, it took a very long time for the editor to finally screen the article and invite reviewers. My concern is that some reviewers will decline to review, and the editor will not invite new ones quickly at all...it seems like they check in the system very infrequently (once every month or two). If the status date is not changing while under review, could it be that reviewers haven't accepted? This is the Elsevier system.

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    How long is a "very long time"? It is not unusual to take a month or two before you get through the desk, depending on discipline and journal.
    – RegressForward
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 18:03
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    Elsevier's system varies between journals. Also, they have 2 different platforms for journal management, depending upon the journal.
    – Richard Erickson
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 18:17
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    Actually the main cause of delays isn't reviewers declining; it's reviewers ghosting editors and not giving an answer, even after two-three weeks and multiple reminders.
    – Federico Poloni
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 20:16

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Like for so many other questions about the status of submissions on this forum (search!), there is just no way for you to know. It may be that the editor has found the requisite number of reviewers but reviewers are taking their sweet time to get their assessments written; or that the editor is sitting on their hands and not doing much; or or or. You just can't know, and it's a waste of your time and energy to wonder about it.

Relax, move that paper to some archive storage place in your brain and be productive on something else until the paper comes back for something you actively need to do.

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The answer to the title question is "no". Many editorial management systems will not change the status date unless the status itself changes. If reviewers decline to review and the editor invites new reviewers, the status stays as "under review", and the status date stays at the date at which the first reviewers were invited.

My concern is that some reviewers will decline to review, and the editor will not invite new ones quickly at all.

Even if this is the case, you can't do anything about it. There's nothing to do except wait.

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