How technology is helping mitigate the coronavirus threat

The abrupt emergence and rapid spread of Corona Virus (Covid-19) has reminded the sudden outbreak of the Ebola between 2014-2016. Many investigations were made at that time to ensure that we have learnt lessons from that dreadful epidemic and will be prepared for the next. 

Philanthropists like Paul Allen and Bill Gates had alarmed the NGOs and governments to consider that outbreak as a wake-up call because they believed that the next eruption could be more widespread.

And the Next Explosion is here in the form of Corona. 

Coronavirus, now called Covid-19, is a reminder of the dynamism of infectious disease. It has created such a massive disruption and is labelled as a” Pandemic” by the World Health Organization (WHO). This widely spreading virus is a huge concern for medical professionals everywhere around the globe.

As COVID-19 continues to devastate human lives, we will tell you how innovation and technology are helping to handle public health emergencies and restrain the spread of this deadly virus.

The exponential rise of connectivity — and the access to the abundance of data it offers — allows health officials to instantly track the spread of disease and proffer populations with vital information and preventions.

Authorities and Civilians in Wuhan are using latest technology based Drones to warn people walking outside without masks and also take their temperature from a distance.

 Facebook has generated maps that illustrate population density, demographics, and travel patterns to make people aware of this outbreak. Furthermore, Facebook, Google, and Twitter are also working to identify and eliminate misinformation and myths about the Coronavirus, directing people to reliable sources at the CDC, WHO and UNICEF.

When SARS first Outbreak happened in late 2002, it took experts more than a year to identify the genome of the virus. With the advancement in technology, new techniques adopted because of which this time, the genome of Covid-19 was identified in less than a month after the first case was known. 

Using AI to fight Against Coronavirus

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has proven efficacious in elevating public health. AI-based alerts are so effective that it can quickly reach a vast number of people and warn them about the Coronavirus before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization do. 

Health apps with chatbots are also using artificial intelligence to screen people who feel feverish and coughing and suggest them whether they should be evaluated for infection with the Coronavirus.

An AI-based surveillance system is also used to keep an eye on the public that capture unstructured data from various sources, like social media, internet and official reports, to track and detect the evidence of the threat. 

An AI-based Predictors offer early and accurate analysis about the spread of Covid-19. Researchers use AI to predict Zika outbreaks and to trace the insects that spread the disease. By helping in tracking and predicting the spread of illness, these technologies may be someday successful in stopping epidemics before they cross borders.

An AI-based system analyzer can detect body temperature and analyze symptoms of CoronaVirus. The data captured by the heat scanner is sent to the cloud. The AI-based application can be used to identify faces of people using Face recognition feature and map the facial data with readings of heat scanner.

AI-based systems can then installed at the entrances of public places, schools, metro stations, malls or airports where the facial data is mapped with the heat data allows or denies the entry of people in a specific area. Also, the system can advise a person to quarantine for some days if it detects the person is infected with a high fever.

Mobile apps to mitigate the CoronaVirus 

China has developed an app, “Close Contact Detector,” that strives to minimize the spread of the CoronaVirus.

The app is created to let users understand if they’re at risk of incurring the disease based on how near in proximity they’ve been to an infected person or a person suspected of being infected.

It makes people aware who share the same house, work together, and passengers on mass transit where a patient has been present.

Also, many apps have set up a platform to supply medical aid for COVID-19.

Last week, Alipay, a payment app by Alibaba, has launched a platform that use coloured QR Codes to show the health status of people in the city of Hangzhou. Once the QR code is recognized, the app redirects the user to outside link with information about a subject.

Users then need to fill an online form that reports their official identification number and demands miscellaneous information. Individuals have to enter details about their recent travel outside the city, and anything that they might be infected with, such as high body temperature or loud cough.

After completing the questionnaire, users receive a report on their phone. It includes a colour-based QR Code that associates with the health situation they have mentioned.

Users who receive a red code are recommended to quarantine themselves for 14 days. On the other hand, users with a yellow code are told to detain for seven days, while those with a green code can go out freely.

Blockchain to assist doctors

Blockchain is a discovery that can support to streamline medical supply chains, ensure that doctors and patients have access to the tools they require when they require them and restraining the contaminated items from reaching stores.

The Coronavirus outbreak is one of many public health crises we will face in the coming decade. But with the right minds on the job, advanced technology, inventions and with the plenty of collaborations, we can create a world that can stand sturdily against any such virus