The novel coronavirus has spread globally infecting tens and thousands of people. The healthcare system across the globe has suffered a major blow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic outbreak has shaken the socio-economic landscape of countries around the world. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and data can reduce the rapid progression of the epidemic in the community.
Government agencies and tech giants are working hard to find solutions to this problem leveraging artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies. The technology is helping to furnish real-time information, track the virus, and speed up the whole process to find treatments to curb the crisis. In this blog, we will put some light on the role of artificial intelligence in the coronavirus pandemic.
Following are some areas in which AI has been leveraged to fight against this pandemic outbreak:
1- Predict infection and spread of coronavirus: AI and data have helped agencies find answers to critical questions. As there is a large number of data to process, AI and machine learning can assist in integrating the data across the world and predict the outbreak.
Artificial intelligence is probably the biggest bet in tracing the path of this virus and predicting its outbreak. AI and machine learning algorithms can read through an enormous amount of data collected from the infected areas and give real-time insights.
2- Diagnosis and treatment: AI models can serve as an objective tool in detecting and identifying positive corona cases. AI algorithms could be trained to assist healthcare systems in the wake of the rise of corona cases and serve as a potential aid to the agencies.
3- Vaccination development: AI can help government agencies and healthcare systems to find the right vaccinations faster than ever before. AI tools can analyze potential mutations of the virus and determine vaccine efficacy.
AI can not only play a significant role in vaccine development but also assist in conducting vaccine trials and managing supply chains.
4- Analyzing impact of drugs: AI can help researchers know about how our immune system reacts to the vaccine and its implications.
Some AI tools and new technology equipments are highlighted below which are playing a crucial part in combating COVID-19:
- CoughVid: This is an AI-based diagnostic system that can test whether the patient has COVID-19 by using cough sounds. CoughVid is a mobile application developed by EPFL’s Embedded Systems Laboratory that provides rapid screening for corona virus. The process is simple and faster. The user can record cough sounds through the application, then this recording is processed and analyzed using machine learning algorithm. The system classifies the cough sound and determines whether cough sounds similar to coronavirus or not.
- Linearfold: Baidu’s AI team has developed a tool ‘Linearfold’, leveraging artificial intelligence that can reduce 2019-NCOV prediction time from 55 minutes to 27 seconds. This tool can analyze the structural information of the virus efficiently in less time.
- BlueDot’s COVID Data Suite: Another company BlueDot, a Toronto-based health surveillance company, has also contributed by gathering disease data from online sources and then using airline flight information to make predictions about infectious diseases that may appear next.
- CLEWICU: CLEW Medical has developed an artificial intelligence ICU solution that can monitor and categorize patients based on risk levels. It has COVID-19 and hemodynamic instability.
- BreFence™ Go COVID-19 Breath Test System: A Singapore-based start-up, Breathonix, has developed a rapid breath test that analyses and identifies volatile organic compounds in breath using a trained algorithm. The test consists of a disposable mouthpiece, breath sampler, and mass spectrometer that can provide result in less than one minute.
Leveraging Artificial intelligence in this pandemic has served humanity in all spheres and assisted authorities to make significant data-driven decisions. In the future, this disruptive technology can aid save humanity by predicting and preparing us for upcoming epidemic situations. You can also pick up a career in AI and become a part of the AI community. Explore our range of courses for all levels and equip yourself with future skills.
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