IoT-enabled systems and applications need to be put to more use to wage a more powerful fight against viral outbreaks. These applications can help with early detection and containment, mitigating the risk of another global crisis, says Syed Zaeem Hosain, CTO, Aeris Communications.
We’ve learned many harsh lessons from the COVID-19 outbreak. One lesson that impacted the globe is the need to have systems in place to quickly identify new viral outbreaks and stop the spread of the virus. We know what happened.
Before the next viral outbreak and its variants impact our lives, we can take a closer look at how IoT and connectivity can support new ways in which to better capture patient virus data in the early days of an outbreak. Using IoT tools, healthcare providers and first responders can then disseminate this data to identify regional outbreaks at the speed necessary to contain the spread and prevent a severe, possibly global impact.
IoT has valuable, even life-saving applications, in all aspects of a viral outbreak:
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Fast Detection and Response
IoT enables new systems and applications that can assist in the rapid detection of new outbreaks when response time is critical. These applications can also support crisis management by sending immediate alerts to a locale to impose travel restrictions and implement lockdowns.
An IoT application, for example, can detect breathing anomalies using a breathing tool. It enables data to be sent in real-time to analyze hundreds of thousands of breaths. Upon anomaly detection, local government and healthcare systems would then be able to speed a local quarantine. Using IoT to implement contact trace methods once an outbreak occurs is also vital to containment.
For those affected by a viral outbreak, IoT applications like a breathing sensor can help physicians and staff virtually share data and make better-informed decisions on patient care. COVID-19 taught us that virtual medicine is going to be essential in the future to handle the overwhelming caseload that can occur during an outbreak.
Proactive Containment Measures
Once an outbreak is discovered, IoT applications help manage containment and response. A current example is the Delta variant: a “hyper-transmissible†form of COVID-19 believed to be responsible for more than half of the new infections in the United States, according to the CDC. The faster the variant data is disseminated, with accuracy, the better the chance of assessing its spread and implementing a containment strategy.
Vaccine Development Data SharingÂ
Universal sharing of ideas and data between healthcare systems, pharma companies and universities is essential to creating vaccines that will save lives. COVID-19 vaccine policies were remarkable, providing availability to the public in an unprecedented timeframe. However, as the Delta variant and other variants have proven, COVID-19 is still an evolving threat.Â
Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can help researchers analyze the collected IoT-generated data, share insights, and further refine their thinking on new vaccine development. By leveraging AI, more immediate analysis can help with faster response to variants like Delta, thereby improving patient outcomes.
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Connectivity Advancements Ahead
Rapid detection sensors, data sharing, and telemedicine used for consultation and diagnosis are technologically available now and can help containment of new outbreaks. However, even more can be done to make the globe safer from viral threats to come.
At the individual level, general-purpose volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors can be manufactured in the millions at a low per-unit cost. Viral bio-markers can be integrated, and the data can be transferred to regional government and healthcare systems.Â
During the early stages of an outbreak, fast sharing of data can make a difference in containment. By more precisely identifying contagion in a smaller community or region, it may be possible to avoid massive lockdowns.
To be effective in viral crisis response, we also need to address the connectivity requirements. Transmission options include LTE-M, with slower data rates, or Narrow Band LTE (NB-IoT) with even slower data rates. In crisis response, with the need for real-time communication, LTE-M provides lower latency and higher throughput. To support personal sensor devices or any mobile health app, LTE-M has the capability. In comparison, NB-IoT provides a much longer battery life and is a good choice for applications like lower-cost radios.
5GOpens a new window , when fully deployed, will offer the benefits of higher mobile data volumes, more connected devices, lower latency and longer battery life. At present, healthcare systems, connectivity providers and researchers are in the exploratory stage, addressing how 5G can be best used when available.
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Lessons for the Future
The experience of COVID-19 and the resultant healthcare crisis can be thought of as a teachable moment for how IoT can be better leveraged to improve care and help mitigate the spread of a virus. We know there will be more viruses and more variants. IoT applications, through remote sensor detection, data transmission and AI analytics, will prepare us for a more organized, powerful response when the next viral strain inevitably occurs.
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