Contagion Live News Network: The VIRUS Global COVID-19 Registry

Hello and thank you for joining Contagion. I’m assistant editor Grant Gallagher, here with a review of our recent coverage.

A new first-of-its-kind global registry aimed at sharing real-time information on hospital care and ICU admissions could expand the scope of SARS-CoV-2 research. And investigators behind the project are asking any treatment center with interest to participate.

Mayo Clinic and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) partnered to launch the Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS), a global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) registry which would shed light on varying treatment patterns around the world.

The registry has gathered information on more than 5000 patients from 81 clinical sites since its initial launch on March 31. The healthcare sites in the registry span 8 countries thus far. The VIRUS dashboard contains data on ICU discharge details, types of medical support received including mechanical ventilation, and demographic information.

We also shared a panel of experts including Dr. Ian Frank, who spoke in a Contagion peer exchange about advances in the HIV treatment landscape such as the first generation of long-acting injectables. Long actings could be a massive reduction in stigma

For more on these stories and other infectious disease news, visit contagionlive.com.