AI A TOOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID

IF there is anything the COVID19 pandemic has made clear is the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep machine learning is here, and no force in this world has the power to stop it.

In the past we have had people challenging the emergence of AI and deep machine learning as it significantly takes away from human jobs and function as we know them today, but clearly the recent pandemic which had the world shell shocked and medical experts and scientists alike at their wits end, left no doubt that it is a significant tool in the fight against COVID.    

COVID 19 which was first discovered in 2019 in Wuhan China spread so fast in that experts had no choice but to turn to AI for a solution. 

A good majority of the countries had to go into lockdown to allow medical experts and scientists alike to come up with a solution but barley 2 years after the virus was discovered, we now have a vaccine all thanks to new technologies which have the ability and intelligence to speed up medical processes.

Vaccines normally take time in some cases years before they are distributed because they have to go through rigorous trials and tests but owing to new technologies like AI a COVID vaccine was made possible. 

AI algorithms are being used to save time in the analysis; trials and testing of the mutation of the virus than before where it would take months thereby saving more lives.

For instance, In France we have the #TousAntiCovid app which identifies exposure to the virus making it easy to track the virus. In Switzerland, the SwissCovid app has had about 2million downloads in the space of 3 weeks. 

AI can also drastically reduce diagnosis, treatment and recovery while at the same time reducing operational costs in developing new medicines.

Recently, a team from the University of South California created an algorithm that can speed up the process of how vaccines come into existence through their AI framework which speeds up the analysis of COVID vaccine candidates while also finding them the best preventative treatments.

According to an article in the Open Access Government, this AI framework could be one of the most useful tools in the global fight against the pandemic.

“When applied to SARS-CoV-2, the computer model quickly eliminated 95%of the compounds that could’ve possibly treated the pathogen and pinpointed the best options.”

The article goes on to categorically state that; “A machine learning model can accomplish vaccine design cycles that once tool months or years in matter of seconds and minutes.”

Speaking at conference organized by ITU, Lui Yun, a professor at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University in China said AI will transform healthcare by improving speed and accuracy of diagnosis which will in-turn reduce time and mis diagnosis rates.

 She further states that, AI will go a long way in providing precision medicine.

According to the WHO; “Meeting the Health SDG(UHC) means investing 3.9 trillion USD over the next 15 years. At the current rates of progress fewer than 5 %of the countries were projected to reach 2030 targets for 11 SDG indicators.

Africa currently has 25% burden of the world’s diseases against a 1.3%of the World’s diseases at a time when at least 36 countries in Sub Saharan Africa ARE WITHOUT 2:3 doctors/nurses/midwives per 1000 population.

These statistics reveal that now more than ever, the world needs to embrace the positive impact of AI and deep machine learning on the health delivery systems.

AI can in-fact reduce time and money in bringing treatment and relief to those who desperately need them. One only needs to look at the manner in which the COVID vaccine was delivered in record time.