COVIDium: a COVID-19 resource compendium

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has spurred significant research efforts globally.
• Numerous databases and software tools have been developed to aid in understanding and combating the virus.
• Many of these resources are difficult to locate and access due to uncharacterized nature and varied deployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a centralized compendium of COVID-19 related databases and tools.
• To enhance the discoverability and accessibility of valuable research resources.
• To support researchers in their efforts to find cures and treatments for COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Crawling and characterizing over 160 databases and 80 software tools related to COVID-19.
• Classifying resources into 11 broad categories for user-friendly navigation.
• Implementing generic search terms and filtering options for efficient resource retrieval.

Main Results:

• Development of COVIDium, a comprehensive resource compendium.
• Categorization of diverse COVID-19 databases and tools.
• Inclusion of features like Tracker Dashboard, Neuro Resources, and links to datasets and protein-protein interactions.

Conclusions:

• COVIDium provides a vital, easily navigable platform for researchers seeking COVID-19 resources.
• The compendium aims to reduce redundancy and improve the utilization of existing research tools and data.
• Periodic updates will ensure COVIDium remains a current and comprehensive resource for pandemic research.