Though it is not the most idyllic situation, everyone is slowly learning how to live with the virus. Home quarantines are still one of the most effective ways to mitigate the spread. Thankfully, protocols regarding outdoor spaces have more or less relaxed, allowing people to move and reclaim some normalcy reminiscent of pre-pandemic times.
Technology continues to aid different industries in smoothly running their operations. Most sectors have shifted to remote work, so their employees can keep working from the safety of their homes, and though working from home is not for everyone in the medical field, there are still techs working to make handling COVID-19 better.
Contact Tracing Apps
During the onset of the virus, most countries used logbooks to keep tabs on people entering and exiting establishments. Although alcohol sanitizers are ready to use, it is still not the best to share common pen and paper among several people.
Considering that much time has passed since discovering the virus, phone applications are available for everyone with a smartphone. Contact tracing apps are easy to use and only require the scanning of QR codes displayed in establishments. It even lets people know if they are within the vicinity of possibly infected individuals, alerting them to maintain distance.
Telehealth
Online diagnoses aren’t new practices in the medical field, but it is indeed not conventional. Staying inside your home and practicing social distancing are the keys to reducing the risk of getting infected. But this is hard to follow for people with medical conditions requiring them to regularly visit their doctors. Albeit not everything can be solved online, talking through conference calls is better than queuing in the hospital and exposing yourself to the virus.
Similar to contact-tracing apps, there are also mobile applications that connect you to medical professionals. These apps are beneficial if you’re displaying symptoms or are already infected. If it’s the former, it’s best to have yourself tested using a COVID-19 test kit approved by the FDA. If it is the latter, doctors can guide you on which medications to take and how to self-quarantine so that other members of your family will not be infected.
Robotics
COVID-19 is a virus that affects humans and animals. It can jeopardize a person’s health and use the body as a vessel to infect others. On the other hand, robots aren’t sentient beings, so even though their surfaces can house viruses for many hours, they won’t be affected by it so much to make them fall ill.
Medical institutions utilize robots in some medical processes, even directly dealing with isolated patients to decrease human-to-human contact. Robots can collect swab samples and don’t even need to don proper PPE, making this beneficial in conserving valuable materials.
In addition, autonomous robots can move around, which is especially helpful in delivering food to patients and disinfecting hospital facilities. Their disinfecting processes either include spraying areas with sanitizing solutions or using UV light.
5G Network
Fast communication is vital so that different sectors can be updated on the latest information about the virus, especially now that more dangerous variants surface. The reliability and high-speed connectivity offered by 5G networks continue to make an impact in various industries.
Though this type of connection is still not available worldwide, its capabilities are already making waves. Not only helpful in business, but 5G connectivity also affects the medical field, given that even several healthcare services, such as telehealth, teletherapy, and virtual gyms, are now held online.
3D Printing
The pandemic came as a shock; not anyone, not even manufacturing companies specializing in producing different medical supplies, was prepared for it. Finding out the specifics of the virus was already challenging in itself, but keeping up with the demand for masks, oxygen tanks, and other PPE materials made everything more complicated.
Since bracing for the virus meant that companies have to shift to skeletal operations to prevent overcrowding, the workforce struggled to meet quota. This problem ushered in 3D printing technology and made it possible for companies to keep producing needed supplies. A single machine can work on several products as long as it has a design, making it not only helpful but also cost-effective.
Internet of Things
When commonly used in business, the Internet of Things (IoT) connects different devices to a single internet base, allowing them to share, exchange information, and modify their processes accordingly.
In healthcare, IoT works the same way. It connects medical tools, gathering a pool of information systems that can help professionals better monitor a patient’s conditions, providing them with better care. It’s also helpful in detecting diseases that may appear in the future, letting various sectors brace themselves better for different scenarios.
Technology has made it possible for businesses to resume operations by offering remote work situations to their employees and also helps continuously contain and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
