Coronavirus Threat Was Detected By Artificial Intelligence Weeks Before WHO
China, the world’s most populous country, has been gripped by the deadly coronavirus. It’s spreading fast across the globe. On January 26, the India Times (indiatimes.com) reported that weeks before WHO and China confirmed the virus outbreak; the Coronavirus threat was detected by Bluedot – a Canada-based AI startup, using artificial intelligence.
How Did AI Flawlessly Detect Coronavirus Threat Much Before Healthcare Experts?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have been catalysts for phenomenal outcomes and groundbreaking discoveries. AI in healthcare has been a great boon for this civilization particularly because of its flawless detection capabilities. A recent revelation by the daily about AI detecting and predicting Coronavirus spread many weeks before health experts could do that is yet another instance that highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
As stated in the published report, Bluedot – the AI startup based in Canada that did the job, used natural language processing and machine learning to scan through reports across the world. It checked and analysed data from different airlines. It also studied reports of different animal disease outbreaks in correlation with other available data. Thus, it came to detect the Coronavirus outbreak weeks before the WHO and China confirmed it.
A Closer Look At How AI Did It
While AI predicting the coronavirus spread might look like a miracle but it isn’t any. Proper use of AI leads to such flawless predictions. Those can help stakeholders in preventing crises. Considering how artificial intelligence functions, we can try to break down the steps to understand how AI might have detected the virus spread.
- Coronavirus is not new to the family of viruses. Since information about the same exists so it might have been fed to the system.
- As mentioned in the report, it used natural language processing and machine learning to scan and analyse individual reports across the world. The system also had categorical information about the virus – its causes, symptoms and other relevant information. Thus it analysed obtained reports in correlation with the existing relevant data regarding coronavirus and the same was fed for training the algorithm for the final conclusion. Following the process, experts found the system predicting coronavirus outbreak.
- The firm also used data from different airlines and reports from animal disease outbreaks. These also helped in the flawless prediction.
The health care services, in particular, could be largely benefitted by extensive applications of AI in healthcare.
AI Aiding Healthcare Like Never Before
Artificial intelligence is by far one of the best assistance for mankind, for its versatile and far-reaching benefits. It has been a great aid for improving healthcare as well.
Detect dosage error
Mistake in administering proper dosage can be life-threatening. It has often caused deaths. So artificial intelligence is now used to ensure the dosage is according to the prescribed standard and thus safe for patients.
Cybersecurity
Your medical history is important and confidential. Given the mass proliferation of internet usage and convenience, medical data is even stored electronically. So AI is implemented in the healthcare system and your medical data is stored in its purview, then it also ensures data security for your medical records.
Automated image diagnosis
Recently it was found that AI models could identify breast cancer cells more accurately than experts by studying mammogram images and reports. It thus made an important contribution to effective breast cancer treatment.
Virtual nursing assistants
Often timely medical attention can save a patient. That’s exactly what can be done by having virtual nursing assistants. The person can describe the condition to an AI model (virtual nurse) and based on the symptoms the virtual nurse can give you accurate medical advice, observe your health, and schedule appointments for further medical attention, and more. The patient also gets round-the-clock supervision with a virtual nurse.
Technology is an indispensable factor for development and one of the best things that could have happened for improving healthcare. Given the merciless severity of the health crisis spurred by coronavirus spread, it’s high time to include and pay heed to artificial intelligence. If you are a key decision-maker or operate a health care unit, you can get in touch with us for integrating AI into your system.
