When you compare the last great pandemic, the Spanish Flu of 1918, with the present one, it becomes immediately clear that we have one major advantage over our predecessors; technology. Modern technology, as it turns out, is good for more than just sharing cat videos and TikToks. It has the potential to help us combat the present pandemic, while also helping to prevent another one. Technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, 5G and IoT are now being used in innovative ways to help fight disease.
Prevention and Preparedness
In the event of an outbreak of an unknown disease, experts first need to collect and collate as much information as possible, just to make sense of what is going on. Understanding what is actually happening is crucial to designing an appropriate response. Artificial Intelligence and machine learning is technology that is well suited for this purpose and can work much faster than humans. They can be set to collect and analyse huge volumes of data across languages, regions and disciplines. This technology is also capable of allowing for a better understanding of people’s travel patterns, helping to quickly identify the riskiest areas and take preventative measures.
Real-Time Data
At all stages of tackling the spread of disease, real-time data is crucial, particularly in terms of identifying where a pathogen originated. The earlier this kind of information is gathered and understood, the faster authorities can act to contain outbreaks. For example, blockchain has the capacity to work as a decentralized database, to track the traceability of, for example, food items. If such a system had been in place, it might have been possible to better understand the exact origins of the SARS-CoV 2 virus. Furthermore, it would become easier to track, trace and warn about potentially contaminated shipments.
IoT devices and data analytics are further revolutionizing the way we collect data, and this is crucial during a health emergency. Smart thermometers and other devices used for screening can analyse huge swathes of data to detect trends that may not otherwise be apparent. This can then contribute towards a global network of data and information that can be used to take the right measures.
Communications
Tech like 5G has the potential to revolutionize communications, which will bring the world closer together and enable, for example, patients around the world to obtain the best medical advice. It will also bring communities far and wide, rural and urban, together.
We have the power and the technology to battle any challenge thrown at us today. However, collaboration is a prerequisite to implementing the right systems to make the best use of the technologies we have at our disposal.
