The progress in AI has been exponential in the recent decade. This pandemic has made us more reliant on technology as most of us are practicing social distancing and work-from-home. AI and ML utilize data from different sectors and make informed decisions. One of such example is how AI is used to help us fight against COVID-19.
Early Diagnosis
Artificial Intelligence is used to identify high-risk patients at an early stage and there fore helps to control the expansion of the infection in real-time. This has become important at the time of crises as real time monitoring is the best option for people to self-isolate and stop the spread of virus.
A French startup known as Clevy uses augmented assistance to help diagnose COVID-19 symptoms. This helps diagnosing without leaving house. It is both cost and time efficient solution. .
Mayoclinic is another platform that also allow user’s self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms.
MIT-IBM Watson AI lab are also actively involved in multiples projects to stop the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Prediction and Tracking
AI is also being used for developing mathematical models to study the spreading rate of COVID-19. These models include Susceptible, Infectious and Recovered model (SIR), Global Epidemic and Mobility model (GLEaM), Transportation Analysis and Simulation system (TRANSIMS) and Individual Based Model (IBM)
These models are used to theoretically predict the number of positive cases and transmission rate of COVID-19 pandemic. Ai can easily rectify the most vulnerable regions by tracking the number of confirmed cases and take necessary actions to curb the spread.
Spreading of Misinformation
Artificial Intelligence can smoothly response to this crisis by controlling misinformation. Big bulls of social media platform are using personalized AI technology to stop the spread of false information. It is one of the most important issue because a series of conspiracy theory and false medical information are easily circulated across the social media.
Development for drugs and vaccines
AI helps to dig out useful frugs that can be used to treat COVID-19 patients and allows vaccines and treatment at a faster rate through computational analysis that cab be helpful for clinical trials.
IBM Watson Health can determine the right medicines for a patient from the database. It is important because patients may have underlying conditions and IBM Watson can actively identify the probabilistic medicines good for patient.
AI Helping with scanned image analysis and reducing hospitals staff workloads.
Testing was the key issue at the beginning of the pandemic. Some countries like South Korea, Germany any many other successfully handled COVID-19 because of the amount of testing they have done. Thus, health authorities are keen to extend the numbers being tested but the most testing methods are labour intensive and time consuming. But AI is now assisting with other sorts of testing, like x-ray scanning. Various AI programs are now available for chest screening which will highlight lung abnormalities during a chest X-ray scan and supply a COVID-19 risk evaluation much faster than human radiologists.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence has shown favorable outcomes in early diagnosis, tracking, stopping the out-spread of misinformation and also development of potential medicines and vaccines. Not only while on going pandemic but it has always enhanced the work of the healthcare industry. It can be considered as one of the few resources that can allows cost-effective, time-efficient method to develop vaccines and treatment to help us fight the COVID-19.
