Registry Tracking Key Coronavirus Clinical Metrics for Seriously Ill Patients

Data in the Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study registry includes mechanical ventilation duration and ICU length of stay.

Mayo Clinic and the Society of Critical Care Medicine have launched a global coronavirus registry to track ICU and hospital care patterns.

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December, scientists and clinicians have been scrambling to determine the pathology and care pathways for the novel virus. Much remains to be learned such as amassing data about treatments and outcomes.

A key goal of the Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS) registry is to gather information about practice variations in the care of seriously ill COVID-19 patients, says Rahul Kashyap, MBBS, MBA, a researcher and VIRUS registry principal investigator at Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic.

"It will include use of novel experimental therapies including antivirals, as well adherence to best practice guidelines for critically ill patients," he says.

VIRUS launched March 31 and includes a data dashboard. As of May 27, the registry had collected data from more than 5,300 COVID-19 patients at 109 care sites in 11 countries. At 89, most of the care sites are in the United States. In addition to patient demographics, the data includes mechanical ventilation duration, ICU length of stay, and ICU discharge details.

All healthcare facilities that are treating COVID-19 patients are eligible to participate in the registry.

Kashyap says the registry can support several lines of research, including modifiable risk factors, associations of presenting symptoms and medical history with patient outcomes, and the effect of novel experimental therapies on care processes and patient recovery.

He optimistic that the registry will play a pivotal role if there is a second wave of COVID-19 cases in the upcoming fall or winter. "Before the second wave of the pandemic, the data automation efforts within registry, inclusion of seasonal variation data points, and rapid cycle dissemination of aggregated knowledge about adults and children with COVID-19 will be an ultimate game changer."