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Abstract
Background
With restrictions on face to face clinical consultations in the COVID-19 pandemic
and the challenges faced by health care systems in delivering patient care, alternative
information technologies like telemedicine and smartphone are playing a key role.
Aims
We assess the role and applications of smartphone technology as an extension of telemedicine
in provide continuity of care to our patients and surveillance during the current
COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We have done a comprehensive review of the literature using suitable keywords on the
search engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Research Gate in the first week
of May 2020.
Results
Through the published literature on this topic, we discuss role, common applications
and its support in extended role of telemedicine technology in several aspects of
current COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
Smartphone technology on its own and as extension of telemedicine has significant
applications in the current COVID-19 pandemic. As the smartphone technology further
evolves with fifth generation cellular network expansion, it is going to play a key
role in future of health medicine, patient referral, consultation, ergonomics and
many other extended applications of health care.
Highlights
•
Smartphone technologies avoid face to face consultations but deliver continuity of
health care during this pandemic.
•
Smartphone technologies provide continuity of care by avoiding physical contact and
maintaining social distancing.
•
Smartphone technologies will play a key role in future of health care delivery.
Background and aims Healthcare delivery requires the support of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Machine Learning to fight and look ahead against the new diseases. We aim to review the role of AI as a decisive technology to analyze, prepare us for prevention and fight with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and other pandemics. Methods The rapid review of the literature is done on the database of Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar using the keyword of COVID-19 or Coronavirus and Artificial Intelligence or AI. Collected the latest information regarding AI for COVID-19, then analyzed the same to identify its possible application for this disease. Results We have identified seven significant applications of AI for COVID-19 pandemic. This technology plays an important role to detect the cluster of cases and to predict where this virus will affect in future by collecting and analyzing all previous data. Conclusions Healthcare organizations are in an urgent need for decision-making technologies to handle this virus and help them in getting proper suggestions in real-time to avoid its spread. AI works in a proficient way to mimic like human intelligence. It may also play a vital role in understanding and suggesting the development of a vaccine for COVID-19. This result-driven technology is used for proper screening, analyzing, prediction and tracking of current patients and likely future patients. The significant applications are applied to tracks data of confirmed, recovered and death cases.
Dear Editor, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has affected day to day life and is slowing down the global economy. This pandemic has affected thousands of peoples, who are either sick or are being killed due to the spread of this disease. The most common symptoms of this viral infection are fever, cold, cough, bone pain and breathing problems, and ultimately leading to pneumonia. This, being a new viral disease affecting humans for the first time, vaccines are not yet available. Thus, the emphasis is on taking extensive precautions like extensive hygiene protocol (e.g., regularly washing of hands, avoidance of face to face interaction etc.), social distancing and wearing of masks etc. This virus is spreading exponentially region wise. Countries are banning gatherings of people to the spread and break the exponential curve 1 , 2 . Many countries are locking their population and enforcing strict quarantine to control the spread of the havoc of this highly communicable disease. COVID-19 has rapidly affected our day to day life, businesses, disrupted the world trade and movements. Identification of the disease at an early stage is vital to control the spread of the virus because it very rapidly spreads from person to person. Most of the countries have slowed down their manufacturing of the products 3 , 4 . The various industries and sectors are affected by the cause of this disease; these include the pharmaceuticals industry, solar power sector, tourism, Information and electronics industry. This virus creates significant knock-on effects on the daily life of citizens as well as about the global economy. Presently the impacts of COVID-19 in daily life are extensive and have far reaching consequences. These can be divided into various categories: A) Healthcare • Challenges in the diagnosis, quarantine and treatment of suspected or confirmed cases • High burden of the functioning of the existing medical system • Patients with other disease and health problems are getting neglected • Overload on doctors and other healthcare professionals, who are at a very high risk • Overloading of medical shops • Requirement for high protection • Disruption of medical supply chain B) Economic • Slowing of the manufacturing of essential goods • Disrupt the supply chain of products • Losses in national and international business • Poor cash flow in the market • Significant slowing down in the revenue growth C) Social • Service sector is not being able to provide their proper service • Cancellation or postponement of large-scale sports and tournaments • Avoiding the national and international travelling and cancellation of services • Disruption of celebration of cultural, religious and festive events • Undue stress among the population • Social distancing with our peers and family members • Closure of the hotels, restaurants and religious places • Closure of places for entertainment like movie and play theatres, sports clubs, gymnasiums, swimming pools etc. • Postponement of examinations This COVID-19 has affected the sources of supply and effects the global economy. There are restrictions of travelling from one country to another country. During travelling, numbers of cases are identified positive when tested, especially when they are taking international visits 5 . All governments, health organisations and other authorities are continuously focusing on identifying the cases affected by the COVID-19. Healthcare professional face lot of difficulties in maintaining the quality of healthcare in these days. Declaration of Competing Interest None
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