Technology and Covid-19: Improving Our Ability to Fight Back in the Pandemic

By Matt Brennan

The Covid-19 pandemic is still raging through many American cities, and technology can play a huge role in controlling the spread of the virus. Patients, caregivers, hospitals, and health care providers are relying on both established and emerging technology in various forms. Technology and Covid-19 will be intertwined.

Many of the technologies used to fight Covid-19 will require the collection of data in an effort to provide essential coverage and prevent spread. Privacy and cybersecurity measures can help to protect that data from any additional adverse effects.

Technology and Covid-19: Here’s What is Helping

Telemedicine

The technology needed for effective telemedicine (a computer or phone with video capabilities) has been around for a long time, but with Covid-19, there is a strong motive for implementation.

Telemedicine has already become a viable alternative for patients to avoid making trips to the doctor’s office and receive necessary healthcare from the comfort of their home. It is an option that is readily available to patients and doctors alike.

In a socially distanced world, telemedicine helps avoid putting people at unnecessary risk as they seek all types of healthcare. It’s also a huge benefit under a stay at home order. This allows doctors and other healthcare providers to focus on more urgent cases. More insurance companies should be willing to cover this type of appointment from here out.

3D Printing

The global Covid-19 pandemic is taxing the supply of many healthcare products. Masks and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other equipment have been found in short supply. Instead of ordering and waiting for these products to ship, this has been an opportunity for 3D printers and other members of the maker community to step forward and fill the void.

Even these 3D-printed additions to a common door handle can help prevent the spread of the virus through eliminating common-touch surfaces.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be useful in a number of different applications during a pandemic. Doctors and other healthcare providers can use it in early detection of the Covid-19. It can help researchers develop new drugs and treatments for the virus. It can even help hospitals in resource management during a pandemic.

AI can be a useful tool in assistance to human healthcare professionals. It does operate on machine learning however, which requires an abundance of data. This data will need to be safeguarded to protect sensitive information.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality has already proven to be a useful technology for surgical applications. The da Vinci surgical systems have already shown that. But virtual reality can be used for other applications, too. It’s being used to place medical students in a wide variety of patient situations to help them better develop empathy.

It can even be used as a therapy tool for helping to relieve PTSD in front-line workers.

Conclusion

Technology is an essential tool in fighting Covid-19. There are a lot of ways that technology can help us fight a global pandemic. But with growing applications, steps will need to be taken to ensure the safety of sensitive data and information. An expert data recovery company can help.