According to various news outlets, AI had actually detected the corona-virus long before the world’s population knew what it was. According to forbes.com, On December 31st, a Toronto-based startup called BlueDot identified the outbreak in Wuhan, several hours after the first cases were diagnosed by local authorities.
The BlueDot team confirmed the info its system had relayed and informed their clients that very day, nearly a week before Chinese and international health organizations made official announcements. Its AI algorithm analyzed multiple sources such as news reports, social media platforms and government documents to predict the outbreak.
This is quite something! Now that the virus is already here, can Ai and other emerging tech combat and contain corona-virus? Look at what I discovered.
According to Itonline.com, AI developer Infervision launched a corona-virus artificial intelligence solution in China this past month that is tailored for front-line use to help clinicians detect and monitor the disease more effectively.
Based in Beijing, Inversion AI has developed an AI software to help diagnose lung-cancers. Currently deployed at 34 hospitals in China — and being evaluated for use by clinics in Europe, and the U.S. — the Company’s software has been repurposed to detect typical signs of Covid-19 pneumonia, allowing physicians to diagnose, isolate and treat patients more quickly than “standard” testing… then follow-up with further tests for Covid-19 to confirm the software indications
The surging number of patients needing diagnosis and the strict laboratory requirements for the use of the rRT-PCR detection kit, to confirm the 2019-nCoV diagnosis, pose big challenges to regional and rural hospitals. Infervision’s tools are helping sites with limited medical resources to immediately screen out suspected Corona-virus-infected patients for further diagnosis and treatment. AI can be used to identify corona-virus symptoms, find new treatments and monitor the spread of the disease, which has so far infected more than 90,000 people worldwide.
According to the BBC, Several Chinese firms have developed automated technologies for contactless delivery, spraying disinfectants and performing basic diagnostic functions, in order to minimize the risk of cross-infection. Shenzhen-based Pudu Technology, which usually makes robots for the catering industry, has reportedly installed its machines in more than 40 hospitals around the country to help medical staff.
MicroMultiCopter, also in Shenzhen, is deploying drones to transport medical samples and conduct thermal imaging. And as MC.Ai notes, China is also using these drones equipped with thermal camera scanners to monitor the temperature of people in the restricted areas to avoid spreading the virus further. As thermal cameras can easily detect the radiations within the electromagnetic spectrum and produce pictures of that radiation, these devices are rapidly using in China to identify the person with the highest body temperature in a crowd. Chinese authorities are deploying these uncrewed aerial vehicles for not just dropping medical supplies, food, face masks or disinfectant products, but also for detecting affected people.
In 2017, Japan’s Startup- B-Spoke Co. Pvt. Ltd has launched the world’s most advanced AI concierge with the name of “Bebot” for foreigners and tourists in Japan using the private accommodation facilities. Later this technology has been turned in automating customer services by using Artificial Intelligence and now leveraging by Japan to offer the latest and reliable updates to travelers on the corona-virus outbreaks. It offers the latest and reliable updates to travelers on the corona-virus outbreak. Accessed through a mobile app, it can answer queries on corona-virus such as symptoms, preventative measures and treatment procedures.
The White House knows this, that’s why they sought help from top technology companies in the US concerning the corona-virus. According to the Washington Post, The White House on Wednesday met Amazon, Google, and other tech giants to seek help in the fight against the corona-virus, hoping that Silicon Valley might augment USA’s government’s efforts to track the outbreak, disseminate accurate information and assist Americans who are out of work or school.
The requests came during a roughly two-hour-long meeting between top Trump administration aides, leading federal health authorities and representatives from companies including Cisco, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft, and Twitter, as Washington sought to leverage the tech industry’s powerful tools to connect workers and analyze data to combat an outbreak that has already infected more than 1,000 in the United States.
Emerging tech will prove to be the biggest savior in calming down the storm of corona-virus. AI can save us from enduring months of human trials and producing at scale, if a vaccine was to be found, by expediting R&D timelines and introduce new treatment options. There is no doubt the collaboration of startups, software development companies, government agencies, and authorities will make a surprising difference in this sinking scenario and conquer the situation boldly.
