Q: After 7 months my manuscript status changed from the "under review" to "manuscript submitted." What does it mean?

Thank you for your query. 

Without knowing your target journal, I cannot give a definitive answer. Interpreting the meanings of these status changes is difficult as each journal has its own process. We have a list of some common status messages and what they mean.  

From your description, it appears likely that the editor sent your paper for review and that this has now finished. The “manuscript submitted” message is just a placeholder. In this case, you can expect to see either a rejection notification or an email with requests for revisions shortly. If the journal has a backlog, it may take some time for the editor to get through the “stack” of submissions to get back to you, even if the review has finished. 

Another possibility is that the peer review started but was canceled, perhaps because one or more reviewers dropped out, so the journal has changed the status to “manuscript submitted” until they can restart the peer review. 

In any case, I suggest directly contacting the editorial office of the journal to inquire about the status of your manuscript and any next steps you may need to take. Provide your manuscript ID (if applicable) and politely ask them about the meaning of this “manuscript submitted” status. They should be able to give you more accurate information about the current status. 

I hope good news reaches your inbox soon!