Design and Implementation of COVID-19 Registry in Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital and Preliminary Results

Background and purpose: Disease registry of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an emerging global health threat could create a suitable research context, identify various aspects of the disease from symptoms to laboratory diagnoses, and determine effectiveness of treatment. The present study aimed to design and implement COVID-19 registry in Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital and investigated preliminary results. Materials and methods: At first stage, to design the disease registry, a strategy committee was established consisting of experts involved in COVID-19. Variables determined by members of the registry strategy committee included demographic findings, patients’ vital signs, comorbidity, laboratory findings, diagnostic test results, disease forms, complications, patients’ prognosis, and medical interventions on admission and at the time of discharge. Then, a web based software was designed in Structured Query Language (SQL) to record the information. The study population included all patients attending Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital with clinical and molecular diagnosis of COVID-19. Results: Out of 1924 registered patients, 829 (43.1%) were female. The mean age of patients was 53.2±17.5 years. The mean ages of men and women were 53.9±16.8 and 52.7±18.1 years, respectively (P= 0.142). Conclusion: Outbreak of COVID-19 and paucity of information about the disease call for an accurate, complete, and reliable database including timely information which could be achieved by an integrated disease registry.