COVID-19 Eye Registry (COVER) – Registry of Ophthalmological Manifestations of COVID-19
Funded since 2020
Goal
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes the potentially fatal disease COVID-19 and may involve a significant inflammatory and thrombogenic response. Ocular complications related to COVID-19 have therefore been described. However, the difficulty of performing comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations in intensive care patients, the offloading of outpatient clinics, and the risk of contagion limit the study of ocular complications of COVID-19 and the assessment of the care needed to preserve vision in affected patients.
Description
The purpose of the COVID-19 Eye Registry (COVER) is to collate de-identified data from across Canada in order to consolidate cases of ophthalmological manifestations of COVID-19 into one database. The goals of the registry are to (1) identify cases of patients with COVID-19 who develop ocular complications and (2) identify cases of patients with pre-existing ocular diseases who develop COVID-19. The registry will detail ophthalmologic examination findings by portions of the eye affected, as well as the progression of pre-existing eye disease upon infection with COVID-19.
This initiative is supported by several Canadian ophthalmological societies and will involve ongoing data sharing to inform ophthalmological clinicians of the pathologies to be investigated in COVID-19 patients.
Impact
COVID-19 has a significant impact on the health of patients. However, since the spectrum of ophthalmologic manifestations of this disease is not yet known, there is a need to document cases of patients with COVID-19 who develop ocular signs.
Ocular complications will be better described and reported using a national case registry. Clinicians will be more vigilant in assessing possible ophthalmologic manifestations and this will also help confirm certain trends and improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 based on ophthalmologic findings.
Accessibility
This infrastructure is available to all RRSV researcher members. The case report form for the registry will be available online to be completed by clinicians seeing an eligible patient. This form will also be shared with the network of users to increase its visibility across the many Canadian societies and ophthalmology institutions that support the initiative.
COVER Case Report Form available here.
All researchers who wish to propose analyses of the registry are invited to contact the registry manager and administrator to ask for access to the database in the context of collaboration. This would help foster new links between the Network’s researchers.
Infrastructure administrator
Marie-Josée Aubin, MD, MSc, MPH, Ophthalmologist, Hôpital-Maisonneuve-Rosemont – Centre Michel-Mathieu, Université de Montréal, Associate Professor PTG under contrat, Faculty of Medicine, Departement of Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal and Associate Professor Department of preventive and social medicine, École de santé publique, Université de Montréal
Contact information
Mélanie Hébert : melanie.hebert.2@umontreal.ca
Université de Montréal, Université Laval
Funding
Vison Health Research Network
Link for publication « Data reporting in ophthalmology during COVID-19 pandemic: need for a Canadian registry » publisehd in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology
VHRN Virtual Meetings (May 21st 2021)