Detection of new coronavirus infection risk using artificial intelligence software

At present, the new coronavirus has been cleared in many cities in China, and its transmission has been effectively controlled. The virus is still spreading globally. According to statistics, as of the 16th Beijing time, there were more than 170000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, 6512 deaths and 77085 cured cases. As a professional society in the field of engineering technology, the British Engineering Technology Society (IET) adheres to changing the world with engineering and technology, and also continues to pay attention to and analyze the development of new coronaviruses.

As the virus spreads, the number of suspected cases and potential carriers continues to grow, putting pressure on global prevention and control as well as medical institutions. With the continuous advancement of technology, artificial intelligence has been widely used in many fieldsapplicationRecently, a cutting-edge technology article shared by IET mentioned the help of artificial intelligence software in disease control. China has developed intelligent travel tracking programs in population tracking, which track each person's travel records through the networks of various communication companies. On the other hand, American investigators said that they would develop a new coronavirus detection software, which can assess the risk of infection according to your physical condition and recent travel, and guide those who are considered to be at risk to the nearest authoritative medical detection institution.

According to a team from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in the United States, this software equipped with machine intelligence can assist local health departments in analyzing real-time information of newly entered populations, accurately identifying suspected cases, so that they can provide more targeted treatment for patients. Dr. Arni Srinivasa Rao, Director of Laboratory Theory and Modeling at the MCG Infectious Diseases Department of Augusta University in Georgia, USA, said, "We want to provide prompt diagnosis and screening for potential coronavirus patients and reduce the chances of virus transmission

Rao and Dr. Jose Vazquez, the head of the infectious disease department at MCG, are working with technical developers to improve this software. The team stated that this application will be released within a few weeks and will be free. This app will ask users about their place of residence, gender, age, ethnicity, and their most recent contact with a known person infected with the coronavirus, or whether they have been to an area with a relatively high incidence of virus infection in the past 14 days. It will also ask users if they experience common symptoms of infection and their duration, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, phlegm production, headache, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Analyze and evaluate the data obtained from these inquiries. Artificial intelligence (AI) will use an algorithm developed by Rao to quickly assess personal information and then send them a risk assessment, such as no risk, minimum risk, medium risk, or high risk. If there are any risks, the application will mark the nearest medical institution and remind individuals to undergo health monitoring. Rao said, "Collecting collective information from multiple people will help quickly and accurately identify geographic regions. This information will determine where the virus is spreading and the relative risk level in that area, so that medical institutions can better prepare for the resources they may need. Through this data, survey researchers can also better understand how the virus is spreading

Rao and Vazquez wrote in their report, "In order to control this rapidly spreading virus, we must continuously optimize and test new models." They stated that technology can effectively assist us in identifying potential cases faster and preventing them in a timely manner. They pointed out that the coronavirus application has a wider range of applications and can be easily applied to other infectious diseases. In addition, they also stated that the application, in conjunction with artificial intelligence systems, significantly increases its speed and efficiency, and can perform screening and monitoring of large and dense populations.

Researchers hope that this software for assessing individual risk can help alleviate people's panic or excessive concern about the coronavirus (Covid-19). People will no longer have to wait for tests in hospitals, "Rao said." We hope to simplify people's lives, and software can directly and quickly allow them to self monitor. "Vazquez also added," If concerns about virus exposure prompt more people to appear in hospitals, it will only increase the burden on hospitals and the risk of infection. Our original intention is also to reduce the pressure on medical institutions and reduce the probability of virus transmission

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States are conducting more extensive testing for the coronavirus, including analysis of nasal and oral swabs as well as sputum. In addition, these regulatory agencies also allow academic medical centers such as Augusta University Medical Center to use their own methods to search for signs of viral infection, thereby accelerating the analysis and understanding of the virus.

Regarding the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) in the UK

英国工程技术学会(IET)是工程技术领域的国际专业学术组织，其前身是创建于1871年的英国电气工程师学会(IEE)。2006年3月，英国电气工程师学会(IEE)和英国企业工程师学会(IIE)合并，更名为英国工程技术学会(IET)。目前，IET在全球150个国家拥有十六万八千会员。IET涵盖建筑环境、设计与制造、数字化、教育和技能、能源、医疗健康、健康安全、创新，交通运输等九大领域的数十个专业。IET总部位于英国伦敦，并在美国、中国、印度等地均设有办公室。

信息来源：usp科技网

Editor He Yang of this website/Organizing