Research and Data Mining During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Description With the recent advances in information and technology systems, most developed countries have invested in building advanced systems for the management of electronic medical records. If the infrastructure of these systems are well designed, they both serve as an information resource for routine patient care and also serve as the primary backbone for medical research. This evidence became clear during the recent coronavirus pandemic, which has been a worldwide challenge since the beginning of 2020. Rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections all over the world has resulted in tremendous health, economic and social ramifications, including social distancing, travel restrictions and closing of schools and businesses. Medical educational activities have shifted towards telemedicine, online learning and web-based meetings and conferences to prevent virus spread. While experimental lab research slowed, research with electronic medical records and databases accelerated in order to investigate the risk factors associated with COVID-19 and clinical management strategies to combat the disease. The urgency for COVID-related research has also lead to inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate output.