Inaya

Tracing the origin of the pandemic and predicting outbreaks

Government response to a pandemic is dependent on knowing where it started, how it has moved from its point of origin, areas where it is concentrated, and public compliance with safety measures. A combination of connected sensors and artificial intelligence can provide a quicker and more accurate picture of these metrics than human reporting, especially in the context of a fast-moving pandemic. Healthcare specialists have already created these tools and governments have already implemented them.

Governments across the globe have used thermal imaging to detect people with elevated temperatures in public spaces like train stations and airports in an attempt to avoid spreading disease on mass transportation. Some governments have used this technology in conjunction with drones to track infected individuals and to send notifications to those who have come in contact with them. Although thermal imaging has been used in limited settings, for greater effectiveness in a pandemic situation, more sensors, possibly combined with artificial intelligence, would need to be put in place.

When governments use technologies like these in public spaces, they must take all possible measures to ensure that malicious actors cannot access the information for personal gain. For example, using information gained from a thermal imaging device to target individuals or to create mass panic. Those that operate drones must ensure that the drones cannot be hacked or stolen and weaponized.

Managing resources and ensuring safety in hospitals

IoMT can help with the pandemic response by supporting the tracking, monitoring and predictive maintenance of assets. Medical devices and healthcare assets are equipped with trackers that virtually monitor medical hardware and alert hospital staff members at any sign of a problem. Stock levels, healthcare devices and other assets, and (smart) beds are being equipped with similar tracking devices that aggregate and give real-time availability of the material.

Hospitals also benefit from smart building technologies that measure and manage temperature, air regulation, cleanliness, specific environmental controls or security. When an area is deemed dirty, robots can even perform the cleaning.

Helping with social distancing

In both public and private spaces, sensors can monitor how many people are in stores or offices. If too many people occupy a space, a connected device can sound alarms or block access to additional traffic. Australia has pedestrian counters in more than 180 locations, providing information that allows officials and health organizations to see the social and economic impact of the crisis and identify optimal locations to set up testing facilities.

Making a diagnosis

In response to the current pandemic, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. This effort includes developing rapid-results testing and in-home testing. Some of the tests being developed also detect influenza from the same sample, which could lead to broad-spectrum virus testing.

The test also comes with a free companion smartphone app, which allows the test to be linked to the patient through a scannable quick response code on the test card. While the goal of the app is to provide the patient with secure ongoing access to his or her test result, the HHS Office of the Chief Information Officer is working with Abbott and state public health leaders to use this app to facilitate reporting of COVID-19 cases. This effort is another example of how we are working on a next-generation public health data system that relies on data already generated rather than actively collecting it ourselves.

NIH's RADx initiative has already invested more than $370 million to support the development and manufacturing of new technologies that could provide much more rapid or convenient tests, including the possibility of at-home testing and options that can address challenges in underserved communities.

Scientists at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a face mask that lights up when sensors detect the coronavirus in saliva. The mask produces a fluorescent signal when a person with the coronavirus breathes, coughs, or sneezes. This non-invasive means of testing could prove to be quicker, cheaper, and more accurate than current detection methods. Scientists in Switzerland are developing a sensor that can currently distinguish between the very similar RNA sequences between different strains of the COVID virus.

Additional development could lead to sensors that could be adapted to detect viruses as they emerge. Since these methods detect the virus itself, rather than its symptoms, they are more accurate than screening methods like thermal imaging and they may be adapted into portable, hand-held devices that would be effective in low-resource environments.

As with any system that deals with protected health information or personally identifiable information, manufacturers and users must take measures to protect user data. That includes using methods like strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, virtual private networks, and en-route encryption for data being sent to apps.

Offering In-Home Patient Care

A broad range of wearables, biosensors, and other medical devices, combined with mobile connectivity, provide remote patient monitoring (RPM). Coupled with telemedicine, RPM allows doctors to provide care to high-risk patients and patients with chronic diseases who need continuous care while reducing their exposure to viral outbreaks. Using a combination of RPM and telemedicine also frees up limited hospital resources that become overtaxed during a pandemic. Another way doctors can monitor patients in home is to prescribe them "smart pills," which contain tiny sensors that have three primary applications: diagnostic imaging, drug delivery, and patient monitoring. These sensors send a signal to an external device to ensure proper dosage and usage or transmit data to doctors. They can also send reminders to take prescriptions to an application on the patient's phone, and can even prescribe future medications. Patients can access information to track their personal performance and improve their habits using their cell phones.

These solutions contribute immensely in reducing the workload and movements of healthcare workers.