Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been playing a major role in fighting COVID-19.
In fact, some circles of the business, tech, and healthcare industries have labelled it as a “game-changer” in the struggle against the coronavirus.
But exactly how will technology affect the medical field?
In this article, we’ll show you a few examples of how AI and machine-learning are helping combat COVID-19.
Understanding how COVID-19 spreads
Understanding how it spreads remains a big concern for experts in fighting COVID-19.
If researchers could learn how the coronavirus circulates, they could help shape early warning systems and create effective measures for preventing or containing any future outbreaks.
But for that to happen, healthcare professionals have to turn to technology. And AI can help to unlock those answers:
Analyzing large volumes of data
The main contribution of AI in fighting COVID-19 is its ability to analyze large and complex datasets. These large data volumes could help predict population movements and forecast how the virus infects vulnerable communities as it mutates.
Detecting outbreaks of COVID-19
Researchers are also relying on AI to detect new outbreaks of the coronavirus. They can collect data from health institutions on a large scale to detect disease outbreaks related to COVID-19.
For example, a company from Canada named BlueDot used AI to track outbreaks of respiratory illnesses as far back as the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan in 2019.
Helping decision-makers
In the face of COVID-19, governments and decision-makers could use machine learning and data to build “what-if” scenarios. Those forecasts could give political and medical leaders a more accurate model of the impact on the public healthcare system in their countries.
For example, if an outbreak is imminent, decision-makers could quickly assess the situation and increase the number of hospital beds, order respirators, or put lockdown measures into place.
Limiting the spread of COVID-19
Organizations are using AI to analyze healthcare data to identify people most at risk from serious health complications caused by the COVID infection.
AI predictive models like these can aid healthcare workers to:
- Quickly quarantine individuals and prevent the virus from spreading;
- Alert others in vulnerable communities about the need for testing;
- Promote social distancing and handwashing;
- Ask the public to stay indoors.
Speeding up research and treatment
The growing volume of data around COVID-19 makes it difficult to extract useful medical data necessary to develop viable treatment options.
In response, AI and machine could speed up this process:
Sharing research results
In response to COVID-19, datasets with medical research were gathered and added to a few comprehensive databases. To find relevant information among 100,000+ research papers, healthcare organizations adopted AI to extract data from disorganized research materials using basic search queries.
For medical imaging, medical research centers deployed spectrum health machine learning. Researchers used this digital technology to build systems that recognize patterns in x-rays and medical scans that indicate diseases related to the virus.
Early detection and diagnosis
Research centers have found new methods of detecting and diagnosing illnesses associated with COVID-19, like pneumonia, using machine learning.
For example, UC San Diego Health used real-life examples from radiologists to train its machine-learning algorithm to create color-coded maps on lung x-rays and detect pneumonia early on.
Analyzing treatment results
Machine learning is also helping medical researchers create drugs that help with fighting COVID-19. Organizations are using the static nature of technology to understand the body’s response to treatment.
Currently, drug companies are using AI to discover drugs that inhibit the effects of new variants of the coronavirus, while they are using machine learning to generate the context in these trials.
Allowing organizations to adjust and scale
Everyone is feeling the effects of COVID-19. Aside from hospitals and healthcare clinics, AI and machine learning are allowing public and private organizations to adjust and scale in the “New Normal”.
Meeting new customer demands
The coronavirus changed customer expectations in 2020. Social distancing and lockdowns prompted more people to conduct business online.
Machine learning technology is helping developers build tools that can accommodate that shift, and support telemedicine, remote communication, and other future trends in public safety.
Improving safety at the workplace
COVID-19 has reshaped the nature of how people work. Remote jobs and home offices are the new norms, but without technology, those solutions wouldn’t be possible.
Companies are using cloud computing, AI, and managed services to provide their workforce with the tools to complete tasks remotely and minimize the health risks of their employees.
Avoiding disruption in daily operations
We cannot deny that COVID-19 was a great disruptor in 2020. But digital technology is preventing further disruption in daily operations.
AI and machine learning are helping companies use better systems to optimize how they do business; and that’s what’s preventing downsizing while maximizing capacity even when the demand is high.
If you’d like to learn more about how Demakis Technologies can help your company thrive by adjusting to the new COVID demands, contact us!