Tracking COVID

COVID-19 collaboration platform launched

Companies aiming to help healthcare responses to the Covid-19 crisis can now collaborate via a new online platform.

Spearheaded by InterTradeIreland and TechIreland, the cross-border platform allows businesses to see quickly, in and beyond their region, who they can work with to combat the many supply chain and manufacturing challenges generated by the pandemic and meet pressing public need.

Presented as an interactive map, it will initially focus on healthcare innovation supports – but will soon expand to include broader economic and societal responses to coronavirus. It will also contain links to public tenders.

Already more than 100 businesses and supports are featured on the map. It highlights more than 10 key categories including PPE, contact tracing, ventilators, among others. https://echalliance.com

Blockchain based new App for COVID-19

The United Kingdom’s Open University has developed a COVID-19 proof-ofimmunity app that combines blockchain with a privacy-preserving data solution from web inventor Tim Berners-Lee.

The prototype app, undergoing testing as of April 29, would support the proof and verification of tamper-resistant test results for COVID-19 antigen tests and vaccination coverage.The solution could ostensibly be used to provide frontline workers, healthcare professionals and the wider public with reliable immunity certificates that would be stored on a distributed, immutable and trusted blockchain-based registry.

Alongside consortium blockchain technology, the app uses solid “pods” — an acronym for the personal online data stores developed by world wide web inventor Tim Berner-Lee’s web decentralization project Solid.

Each user would be asked to provide proof-of-identity before antigen testing, which would then be hashed and recorded to the blockchain registry. Once test results have come in, they would be issued as a digitized immunity certificate to a solid pod on the user’s phone.

A verifier would then be able to check the authenticity of any certificate by using their own mobile device to send a hashed version of the certificate to the public registry to seek a match. https://cointelegraph.com

StopCOVID: France’s controversial tracing app

The French app StopCovid, which aims to trace people who have tested positive for coronavirus in order to slow the spread of the illness, will most likely be ready by early June. Last week, the French government postponed a debate on the tracing app project after many questions were raised over privacy issues.

Over a dozen apps are in development across Europe. The EU has called for the projects to be harmonised, but the continent is divided on how to align the technology’s potential with privacy concerns. www.euronews.com

Galileo positioning aiding COVID-19 reaction

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this year, many apps have been developed that use satnav-based location data to monitor the global spread of the virus and to map outbreaks of the COVID-19 disease. Satnav based apps are also proving their usefulness by helping people to implement social distancing in queues and other public spaces.

Romanian company RISE has developed an app called CovTrack, which monitors people in your vicinity made identifiable via Bluetooth connections to your mobile phone and stores the identification data of these devices.

The app developed on a pro-bono basis, is a spin-off from the existing AGORA project for festival management, supported through ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP), focused on future navigation technologies.

ESA’s partner agency the GSA, European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency, working with the assistance of the European Commission, has put together a repository of such apps, available here. www.esa.int

Containment measures avoid 200,000 hospitalizations in Italy

Researchers have modeled the effects of containment and social distancing measures implemented by the Italian government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Their findings show that contagion transmission was reduced by 45% in March. The model will now be used to analyze possible future scenarios.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobility restrictions and social distancing measures implemented by the Italian government have avoided at least 200,000 hospitalizations and, over time, reduced contagion transmission by 45%. https://actu.epfl.ch

The new smartband iFeel-You

A wearable smartband to support people in dealing with COVID19 pandemic at work or in everyday life: this is the prototype, called iFeel-You, that researchers at IITIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia developed Tracking C VID 38 | Coordinates May 2020 using their expertise in designing sensorized suits capable of monitoring human body parameters. The smartband is able to alert users when their body temperature is higher than 37.5 degrees and the distance to another person is too close to be safe.

While reading the movement of the human body, the smartband releases radio signals from which the distance from another bracelet can be retrieved; when two smartbands are in proximity, they vibrate, thus emitting an alert signal that helps people respect social distancing. The frequency of the radio signal is 2.45 GHz, the same of Bluetooth, but IIT developed a proprietary protocol for an easier and faster detection of human proximities. www.eurekalert.org

‘Teamplay myCare Companion – Pandemic’

Vital medical resources will be freed up in regional Victoria in Australia as Bendigo Health becomes one of the first hospitals in Australia to roll-out telemonitoring which will be used for suspected COVID-19 patients. It has been tested on current geriatric patients to ensure its viability in the testing for readiness. The digital care application, teamplay myCare Companion ‘Pandemic’ delivered by one of the world’s leading medical technology companies Siemens Healthineers, allows clinicians to remotely prioritise and manage patients based on their clinical needs, and has the capability to be rolled out to any healthcare service across the country.

The cloud-based remote monitoring system, built on a proven secure platform, supplies doctors and nurses with a dashboard of daily updated symptoms and health vitals to remotely stay on top of their patients’ health. Symptom tracking and the use of monitoring devices, such as thermometers and pulse oximeters, will track whether the condition of the patient is deteriorating. This data will be collected and transmitted to the hospital via a secure network. The new solution also offers the remote care team the ability to securely communicate with the patient thus providing feedback and reassurance to patients who are being cared for while in home quarantine. www.siemens-healthineers.com

MTC, Oman forms Technological Innovation Committee

The Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC) announced the formation of the Technological Innovation Committee to counter Coronavirus (Covid-19). The committee is headed by Eng. Azza bint Sulaiman al-Ismaili, Minister of Technology and Communications and the membership of representatives from Ministry of Health, Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the Research Council, Public Establishment for Industrial Estates “Madayn”, Oman Technology Fund (OTF) and Oman ICT Group.

This step comes in coordination with the Supreme Committee for Dealing with COVID-19 and in line with government’s efforts to curb the spread of this virus by adopting IT solutions as modern IT alternatives in dealing with its impact. This committee, which will be held continuously until combating coronavirus, will undertake supervising all IT initiatives directed to counter coronavirus, identifying priorities and requirements to ensure diversity of initiatives and avoid redundancy. http://omannews.gov

Iranian tech firms at forefront of battle against coronavirus

Iranian knowledge-based companies have forged six research and development agreements with academic and research centers, as well as the vice presidential office, to work on possible COVID-19 vaccines.

Iranian technology ecosystem has moved to the frontier of those combating the novel coronavirus, by working on treatment and vaccination, the vice president for science and technology said. Over 76 treatment projects have been devised by Iranian medical specialists and researchers, the efficiency of which are currently being examined in laboratories. https://financialtribune.com

$5 million for technology to recognise mask-covered faces

Israel’s Corsight AI, which has developed technology to recognise faces concealed by masks, goggles and plastic shields, raised $5 million from Awz Ventures, a Canadian fund focused on intelligence and security technologies. Corsight said that it will use the funds to market the platform and to continue development. https://in.reuters.com

New Pandemic Management System by HK govt

Hong Kong’s Smart Government Innovation Lab has been putting out a slew of innovations develops by its various incubatees. Recently, one of its supported firms developed a solution, called Chainstopper, is a platform developed by Customindz to help humanity overcome the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting citizens and government health authorities to:

• Conduct self-diagnosis at the convenience of home without fear of stigma

• Facilitate safer movement of the public by authenticating healthy vs infected people with a digital health card to eliminate the risk of exposure

• Alert citizens when entering a hazardous zone or when getting into proximity to an infected person(s)

• Track primary, secondary and tertiary contacts of newly identified cases using GIS, telecom and Bluetooth data

• Manage cases and track key information about cases effectively

• Alert officials if self-isolation/ quarantine cases are moving out of their defined zones www.opengovasia.com

Rapid Supplier Connect to tackle supply chain shortage

IBM has announced IBM Rapid Supplier Connect, a blockchain-based network Coordinates May 2020 | 39 designed to help government agencies and healthcare organizations identify new, non-traditional suppliers who have pivoted to address the shortage of equipment, devices and supplies needed for COVID-19 relief efforts.

Suppliers and buyers currently joining the network include hospitals and other organizations such as Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, and The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation, which is onboarding more than 200 American suppliers from its 3,000 global community members.

XDBOT set for Covid-19 cleaning duties in Singapore

Developed by researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) the eXtreme Disinfection roBOT (XDBOT) can be wirelessly controlled via a laptop or tablet, removing the need for cleaners to be in contact with surfaces.

Professor Chen I-Ming, project leader and a roboticist from the NTU Robotics Research Centre, said the XDBOT was conceived when COVID19 cases started to spike worldwide in mid- February and disinfection efforts were being stepped up at Changi Airport, local hotels and hospitals.

The XDBot was developed by NTU scientists working with Transforma Robotics and two other NTU spinoffs, Hand Plus Robotics and Maju Robotics,along with industry partners Asia Centre of Technologies (ACOT) and Tungray Singapore Pte Ltd.

Developed and built on the NTU Smart Campus, the robot went from a theoretical concept to an operational prototype in two months.

According to NTU, XDBOT can navigate semi-autonomously in any environment using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and high-definition cameras, while its arm is controlled by a human operator. www.theengineer.co.uk

MyEG unveils AI-powered Covid-19 risk profiling system

MY E.G. Services Bhd (MyEG) has developed an extensive artificial intelligence-powered (AI) coronavirus (Covid-19) risk profiling system.

Malaysia’s eGovernment services provider said the system has capabilities that include historical geolocation and anomaly tracking for travellers.

It is now making the technology available to the governments of Malaysia and the Philippines. www.nst.com

Voluntary coronavirus monitoring app in Israel

Around 1.5 million Israelis have downloaded a mobile app in the past week that alerts users who have crossed paths with a coronavirus patient, according to the Health Ministry, helping to improve tracking of the pandemic.

Under a ministry initiative, developers created the app “HaMagen” – Hebrew for The Shield using open-source tools so it can be quickly deployed in other countries at no cost. Users’ personal and location data remain on their phones and are not available to others, so operators of the app cannot trace individuals without their knowledge.

The app allows users to decide whether to report their exposure to the coronavirus to the ministry. https://in.reuters.com

COVID-19 website and application launched in Nepal

Government of Nepal has unveiled a new online portal as a one-door system to provide all kind of national information and data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also introduced a new mobile application that will track real time information about people in isolation or at quarantine.

People can now log into the website of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority or directly log on to covid19.ndrrma.gov.np to get detailed information about the COVID 19 situation in the country. The website shows upto- date number of active cases, number of people recovered, total deaths, and number of people quarantined or isolated. It also displays province-wise data.

Meanwhile, the government also introduced a mobile application called Co Buddy which will give real time information about the movement of people placed in quarantine. For this, those in quarantine or isolation facilities need to install the application and have access to the internet. This will then automatically provide information about the movement of patients. https://thehimalayantimes.com

AIIMS Delhi to deploy robotics

As India’s healthcare system grapples with increasing cases of COVID-19, robotics brand Milagrows’ advanced AI-powered robots – Milagrow iMap 9 and Humanoid ELF – will be tested in the advanced COVID-19 ward at AIIMS, Delhi.

Manufactured in India, the Milagrow iMap 9 is a floor disinfecting robot that can navigate and sanitize the floors without any human intervention. The robot moves around autonomously without falling, avoiding obstruction while planning its own path, guided by LIDAR and advanced SLAM technology. Milagrow’s patented Real Time Terrain Recognition Technology (RT2RT) scans at 3600, 6 times per second to make a floor map in real time with an accuracy of upto 8mm over a 16m distance.

The Milagrow Humanoid ELF enables doctors to monitor and interact with contagious COVID-19 patients remotely with no person-to-person contact, thereby significantly reducing the transmission risk. https://cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Pune, India to fight COVID-19 with Sanyam

The Pune Municipal Corporation has launched an app, viz. ‘Sanyam’ to keep 40 | Coordinates May 2020 track of the home quarantined. They have been asked to download the app, with the GPS-always on mode. “Every ten minutes, the app speaks with the server and refreshes the location of the quarantined people. It collects the data of their geolocation and in case they breach the threshold area, the command centre executive will alert them with a green, red alert depending upon the distance.

A GIS analytics tool is developed for the 1500 strong field survey team working in the containment and buffer zones. The field data gathered by the team is superimposed on the maps on the dashboards of the command centre. The data then, using heat mapping technologies and predictive analytics, guides in marking the buffer zones. These feeds are provided to the citizen centric Information, education and communication (IEC) activities www.expresscomputer.in

Tamil Nadu, India to set up Data Analytics Center to fight COVID-19

The Government of Tamil Nadu has partnered with HCL to set up a stateof- the-art Disaster Management – Data Analytics Center to strengthen the State’s disaster management efforts in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic. HCL is also helping improve and expand the state’s disaster management helpline (1070) through technological upgradation, manpower assistance and effective reporting mechanisms.

The Disaster Management Center of the Government of Tamil Nadu (in Ezhilagam Building, Chepauk, Chennai) is responsible for the overall management of disasters across the entire state. www.expresscomputer.in

Dashboard to predict Covid-19 spread by IIT Delhi

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi have developed a webbased dashboard to predict the spread of deadly Covid-19 in India. The mobilefriendly dashboard, named as PRACRITI – PRediction and Assessment of CoRona Infections and Transmission in India, gives a detailed state-wise and district-wise predictions of viral cases in the country.

The projections are given for a threeweek period, which is updated on a weekly basis. The researchers believe that such a platform will be highly useful for healthcare bodies, local and central authorities, to efficiently plan for different future scenarios and resource allocation. www.expresscomputer.in

Covid-19 app, chatbot launched for people in Bihar, India

The mobile application called Bihar ka Sathi app is available for download on the Google Play Store and it provides assistance pertaining to the virus outbreak to the people in Bihar. In addition to Covid-19, the app also provides assistance with respect to complications in pregnancy and unavailability of food.

In addition to the app, the initiative called iBihar.org has also launched a web-based chatbot that provides information about various facets pertaining to the virus outbreak such as latest figures, travel advisories, mythbusters, donation options and professional advice by medical professionals etc. https:// tech.hindustantimes.com

Robots used in Bengaluru hospital

A leading private hospital in Bengaluru deployed two robots to screen patients and protect healthcare warriors from coronavirus. “The ‘mitra’ robots interact with people using facial and speech recognition and screen them for Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough and cold. They also protect healthcare warriors from being infected,” https:// cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Rajasthan uses technology to fight COVID-19

Rajasthan state in India has launched Rajasthan Social Media Platform (RSMP) app. All the health workers who are doing health surveys, visiting every household in the vulnerable districts have to download the RSMP app and upload the survey related information of the citizens. This information uploaded on the app will be visible on a dashboard to the respective district state health medical officer (SHMO) and other officials. The same app can also be downloaded by the citizens to register their information. There is a logical separation maintained to protect data privacy. www.expresscomputer.in

Automated COVID-19 Live Monitoring App

The Telangana government, India has deployed India’s first automated ‘COVID-19 Monitoring System App’ to identify, undertake live surveillance, track, monitor, and provide real-time analytics. The app, devised by Vera Smart Healthcare, is helping officials and even the Chief Minister’s Office to keep track of the situation on a real-time basis.

The app enables live surveillance, monitoring, tracking, reporting, and major bulletins. The analytics by the app also facilitate assurance to the stakeholders by providing the www.news18.com

BMC, India makes public GIS map of COVID-19 affected areas

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India has made public the GIS map of COVID-19 affected areas in the city on its website, besides setting set up a ‘war room’ to monitor the viral infection in the city and take steps to prevent its spread.

The civic body had said that with the help of the maps, residents in those areas could take precautions more vigilantly, and people visiting those places for any work could take preventive measures. The maps of the areas where there are higher number of coronavirus cases will be posted on the BMC website to provide information about it to the public. www.moneycontrol.com