In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, business goals & work models have shifted and changed form– almost overnight. The market is rapidly evolving to accommodate new requirements and tech giants across the globe are gearing up for what we call, the new norm.
Countries such as China, South Korea and Singapore have markedly employed technological innovations to curb the spread of the virus. In fact, digitization and data are at the center of today’s forward-thinking solutions. It goes without saying that such solutions should be built, keeping in mind privacy and security concerns.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the tech innovations that are shaping the landscape of the COVID-19 era. We will also discuss what the world would look like post COVID-19, and the tech solutions that are enabling the same. What’s more– we will share insights on some of the in-house projects we are developing to contribute to a safer, sustainable future.
From Contact Tracing to Chatbot Health Consultants – How Technology is Curbing the spread of the Virus Today
While eradicating the COVID-19 virus comes down to the concerted effort of different countries’ healthcare & legislative policy makers, as a tech-first company, we are interested in the role played here by emerging technologies-
- China’s strategy in responding to the virus is a combination of AI and Data Science. They used facial recognition & temperature detection software to identify people at risk. They also used a Big Data powered monitoring solution to assess the risk of individuals based on their travel history and exposure to others who may be infected.
- Ali Baba’s AI-powered healthcare imaging solution is said to have 96% accuracy in diagnosing the COVID-19 virus in seconds.
- Google acquired AI company DeepMind has developed AI algorithms to study the protein make-up of the virus.
- Chatbots are being employed in the healthcare sector as a stand-in for regular interactions at brick-and-mortar clinics or pharmacies. Read about our AI-powered chatbot solution that enabled a US-based hospital to achieve improved patient support & engagement here.
- In countries such as China and Singapore, drones are delivering medical supplies and robots are disinfecting & delivering food and other essential services in areas with the disease outbreak.
- Apart from these instances, Blockchain powered solutions for claims processing are helping reduce face-to-face interactions between hospital staff and patients.
What will Our Future Look Like?
In the near future, ‘social distancing’ will become an accepted terminology in our collective consciousness. Public spaces, transport systems and workspaces, will need to be reimagined, so that they can operate efficiently in the new norm. Consider a simple visit to the mall- what new measures will be in place to safeguard our health, how can technology help here?
The Way Forward- Thermal Imaging, Facial Recognition & Telemedicine
At Knowledge Lens, we are developing a reliable & cost efficient Body Temperature Sensing and Personnel Identification solution using Thermal Cameras. Using this solution, one can detect the body temperature of people entering or exiting malls/ apartment complexes/ workspaces/ manufacturing plants etc. Limits may be set so that those with a high body temperature may be restricted from entering the premises.
In the case of offices or manufacturing plants, this solution could work as an attendance management system that detects personnel at the entry/exit, logs their name, attendance time stamp and body temperature. In the context of public transportation systems such as airports & railway stations, this solution could double up as an attendance & security management system.
By contacting telemedicine centers, people can dial in and discuss their symptoms with a certified medical professional, who can decide if they need to undergo testing or not. This has proved exceptionally well in the case of Singapore, where over a million people used the telehealth app MaNaDr for virtual consultations. The solution has enabled a platform for virtual consultations across the country, safeguarding the health of both patients and hospital staff to a large extent.
Such telehealth apps can also be used to provide authentic information on the status of the outbreak, hotspot areas to avoid and general precautionary measures that are to be followed.
Summing Up..
The connectivity and access we have to data today is unmatched, and there is no better time than now to leverage AI & data science in our fight against the pandemic. At Knowledge Lens, we are actively working on developing our Thermal Imaging, Facial Recognition and Chatbots in Healthcare solutions to suit the needs of the current situation.
You might also be interested in our blog series on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on Indian Air Quality here. To learn more about how our HR team is enabling employee engagement during the ongoing crisis, read our blog here.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to drop us a message here or reach out to me at sneha@knowledgelens.com.
