Technology adds a layer of protection against the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals, organizations, and businesses are using it to develop their skills. Unlike previous periods of innovation in human history, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has always occurred without pause following a situational crisis – COVID-19 refusing to take a natural review period.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by the convergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), genetic engineering, and quantum computing to provide unprecedented opportunities. The true opportunity is to use this technology to combat inequality. We can use it to help as many people as possible have a positive impact on their families, institutions, and societies.
We’ve come a long way since Alan Turing asked a question about AI, or artificial intelligence, in 1955. The word was introduced about 20 years ago by computer scientist John McCarthy in response to Turing’s question about whether machines can think.
AI provides rapid response to a pandemic
With over 270 million people infected, over 50,000 mutations observed, and many of these mutations unknown, AI was able to help us predict the pandemic using the genomic tools required by machine learning.
The application of Artificial Intelligence can broaden and improve the accuracy and breadth of epidemiological analyses, as well as the effectiveness of mitigating measures. Mutations can replicate in multiple rounds of infection and evolve into a unique fingerprint as disease transmission occurs. With enough information, these fingerprints can be used for epidemiological analyses at various levels of resolution. As a result, the use of artificial intelligence improves the ability to track outbreaks, isolate their source, and understand how to best deal with them.
A shortage of surveillance in countries with low percentages of SARS
With such a widespread Pandemic on our hands, we need to use AI algorithms to address global disparities in COVID-19 genomic surveillance. There is no denying that we require additional assistance in this battle, and AI can assist you in obtaining information quickly and easily.
As bioinformatics tools aid in the fight against the current pandemic, efforts to maintain genomic surveillance should be prioritized for future development. This includes identifying vulnerabilities and developing future solutions, such as global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. Understanding the genetic foundations of drug-resistant viruses is the best way to combat them otherwise, new emerging viruses may not be prevented or treated effectively.
According to the findings, sequencing 0.5 percent of total confirmed cases with a turnaround time of less than 21 days could serve as a baseline for genomic surveillance studies targeting SARS-CoV-2 and future emerging viruses.
What AI has done to help organizations with pandemic preparation
Every cow patty, sneeze, and sewage spill carries the risk of death. Disruption of global supply chains causes food shortages, increases price volatility, undermines biodiversity, and alters people’s lifestyles. Economies are becoming increasingly reliant on the belief that diseases have no chance. From the HIV pandemic to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) to zika virus (ZIKVa), disease outbreaks are now tearing through geographies with the tenacity of tornadoes.
AI is the most effective method for preparing for a pandemic.
Antiretroviral therapy must be increased to prevent COVID-19 mutations from spreading globally. Individuals with weakened immune systems. South African researchers linked a specific coronavirus sample to a 36-year-old woman who was not receiving effective antiviral therapy. She had been infected with the COVID-19 virus for 216 days, during which time it had accumulated 32 mutations, making it similar to the vaccine-evading Beta variant.
To reduce risks, animal diseases must be integrated into public health policies to aid in the coordination of future pandemic preparedness. The One Health approach takes into account the health of human beings, wildlife, and the ecosystem.
AI and genomic surveillance developed by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University can provide hospitals with tools to prevent outbreaks. The potential for health systems to identify hospital-based infectious mosquitoes is demonstrated in this study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases by Oxford University.
What role does AI play in predicting pandemic readiness?
Machine learning has played an important role in identifying preventative measures to combat pandemics. AI employs large amounts of data and pattern recognition to aid in the cure of these diseases, as well as in the training of healthcare workers.
- BlueDot, a Canadian company, detected signs of a pandemic nine days before the World Health Organization issued an alert about a new outbreak. To stay ahead of the curve in an industry constantly threatened by new outbreaks, you need creativity and innovative technology.
- EpiRisk is a tool that can be used by both organizations and individuals to calculate a person’s risk of contracting an infection.
- FutuRS, a Spanish healthcare provider, used artificial intelligence in its prediction model, which successfully measured a patient’s clinical deterioration.
Companies can avoid breaking social distancing guidelines with the help of AI in order to keep employees safe during a pandemic. Amazon developed a Distance Assistant, which tracks workers’ movements and provides real-time feedback using machine learning models if they violate these guidelines, capturing people through depth sensors to determine accurate measurements. It assists businesses in covering the greatest amount of ground possible by displaying driving routes that avoid any remote areas.
The use of AI provides the most effective approach to pandemic response and preparedness. The AI tool developed by scientists at the United States Los Alamos National Laboratory examined social media and analyzed tweets before verifying their accuracy and significance.
Symptom Checker reduces workload, improves patient flow, and reduces hospital visits by providing contactless screening of COVID-19 symptoms and general questions about the disease for hospital staff.
The completion of COVID-19’s first human trials aimed at preventing pandemic flu is a significant achievement for the AI community.
AI’s Approach to Pandemic Readiness
Companies like Enzolytics Inc. can test the most viable results and identify invariant sites by utilizing AI and new algorithms.
Enzolytics’ AI platform has been used to identify conserved sites for nearly 20 other animal viruses and prioritize development. They have created a comprehensive virus recognition platform capable of identifying conserved immutable sites for future viruses and preventing pandemics.
The Best approach for Pandemic readiness or how AI can help you
A coordinated effort with intent, integrity, and renewed energy to find a shared vision is the best approach to pandemic readiness. Underlying this is a need to break down silos within organizations and businesses in order to collaborate with future generations in mind for the sake of humanity’s safety.
AI algorithms can be used to improve field surveillance. For example, data sharing must be improved because the vast differences in genomic surveillance between countries must be addressed in order to combat COVID-19. Universal access to technology would allow people all over the world to consult for services that are currently unavailable due to wide disparities in genetic testing capacities among nations. Knowing your genomic pattern can help you identify a subtype name even before symptoms appear.
According to a new study, improved pathogen surveillance for humans, animals, and human-animal interfaces is critical for pandemic preparedness. When combined with wastewater-based epidemiology or sewershed surveillance, the risk of infection resurgence can be modeled in early warning systems in a timely manner.
AI can aid in the development of a well-coordinated and well-executed vaccine strategy to address the impending global threat of COVID-19.
Conclusion
AI offers the most dependable and effective path to pandemic preparedness. We are on the edge of the collapse of a future that will have far-reaching implications for healthcare systems. The pandemic has provided a framework for our pursuit of more efficient and humane ways of life. We now have unprecedented access to information that could be genuinely useful in preventing another economic or medical crisis as a result of the lessons learned from this pandemic. Indeed, it is our responsibility and privilege as fellow humans to work together to find solutions that will liberate us.
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