This article is written by Rashmi Jha, from Amity University, Mumbai. This article is about how digital media is involved in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Coronavirus outbreak is one of the most unpredictable global issues in terms of health which has also led to a decrease in the economy of the world. This crisis has put a burden on the government to contain this virus. Methods like testing, contact tracing, and strict quarantine could help in the early flattening of their incidence curves. Coronavirus was originally discovered in Wuhan, China and has spread rapidly in the world. India with more than 1.34 million people is struggling with control of transmission of the virus. COVID-19 is a transferable disease through direct contact with an infected person who has been infected with coughing, sneezing and also touching containment surfaces. The symptoms include flu, fever, cold, and breathing issues. To control this virus lockdown was implemented and public gatherings were banned, people started schools and offices online. The government also implemented the measures through electronic surveillance. Countries started developing technologies and measures to provide information about this pandemic. Countries are successfully coordinating and managing to adopt digital technology into the healthcare system which is successfully helping the world to fight against this virus.
Electronic means and their benefits in fighting an epidemic
The Digital revolution has changed the way of life. As of 2019, 67% of the world population is using mobile phones. And 204 billion apps were downloaded and more than 3.8 billion people use social media. Expanding digital technology can help to alleviate the impact of COVID-19. Digital Media can facilitate the pandemic strategy and respond in ways that are difficult to achieve manually. Countries have successfully planned a framework for testing, tracing, surveillance, health care, etc. with digital tech. South Korea with the help of digital technology had great initiative towards testing and tracing which was tackled digitally and which was associated with the decrease in cases. South Korea has 0.5% covid cases of deaths per 100000 people. At the point when a pandemic outbreak had begun, the principal question was at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts as if there was a medication to fix it or an antibody to forestall it. The world is currently frantic to discover approaches to moderate the spread of the Covid and to track down a viable treatment.
Benefits of using electronic means to fight the pandemic
Firstly, through electronic means, we can get factual and relevant time to time information regarding COVID-19 and we can also get relevant advice from the media. There are portals, apps and social media. Some are even regulated by the government which contains statistics, the number of cases regularly and state-wise distribution, guidelines, safety measures and government responses.
Secondly, due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, people can’t socialize and can’t go anywhere, not even to schools and colleges, so online platforms helps students and employees. As the pandemic creates a catastrophe and continues to compromise the business world, telecommuting guarantees business congruence works with social separation. In such a situation, innovations that empower and secure admittance to the information, endeavour applications, virtual gatherings, cloud conferencing, and virtual meetings. Online learning is a blessing because of technology and is probably the best way to understand friendship.
Thirdly, digital data and Artificial Intelligence can help in monitoring disease. It is successfully used to identify and predict future outbreaks and diagnosis of the disease and management by the resource provision, by maintaining records, training, and studying the disease trend, several methods were utilized to fight against Covid19. Tools were used by AI like maps, mobile payment applications, and social media for the collection of data which allows us to look into location and information about people.
Swedish healthcare developed a platform for health care workers to report data about the COVID-19 Patients and what all resources have been used by them in hospitals. Information is to track the status of hospital resources, how much it is used and how much more patients need them.
Fourthly, contact tracing is when people are recognized through wearing masks or through signals from mobile phones. South Korea also launched a tool for contract tracing by security camera footage and bank records and other real-time details of the person and even South Koreans get alert messages about the COVID-19 cases in their areas and who are infected. Even in India, people get an alert text on Arogya Setu App about the cases. Nowadays, data from applications can be easily traced by the government authorities and with the widespread testing and technical innovations, cases can easily be traced by countries.
Media is an important source of information and plays an important role in the country to spread the news. The spread of rumours about the pandemic and government is widespread and is actively shown in the media through TV or electronic means. There was social discrimination which increased during the pandemic. With unemployment, politics, and corruption in the health sector, the media helps to spread awareness about these social issues in the world. Under such a pandemic, the media has the potential to be a great tool to create awareness and this can help tackle these social issues. The media can also help to tackle irrelevant rumours and publish factual and real news of COVID-19 which will help people to fight this pandemic.
Electronics as a means to accelerate recovery rate amidst a pandemic
The Internet of Things (IoT) was implemented to reduce healthcare costs and improve treatment resources for the people. It is a digital mechanism without human involvement which helps in the medical sector. In this pandemic scenario, all countries are still looking for particular ways to fight against COVID19. This scheme helped monitor the people in quarantine, people with high risk were easily tracked. This technology was used for biometric checkups like heartbeats. The Government of India launched an app Arogya Setu which alerts about cases around areas where people are situated. It alerts the people about Covid19 cases nearby so that people can take precautions. IOT digitally captures the data and information about the patient and diseases. It is an organized method that plays a vital role during this pandemic.
In this current situation, problems are arising because tracking of people is not easy but with the concept of this scheme, people can easily trace and provide significant care so they are not at high risk. Oximeters, sanitization machines, pulsometers, and all digital biometers played an important role in the recovery of COVID-19. There is an increase in the number of rapid tests digitally to increase capacity and easy access to testing on healthcare systems and laboratories. There are COVID-19- PCR tests that are still developing and their use are still limited. Now even drive through testing facilities and self-testing kits have been accessed for tests as it takes a long time for results from laboratories. Connecting to mobiles with programmed readout using picture handling and even AI could help in the mass testing and with help of patient data. For everything to fall into place viably, normalization of information and electronic patient records are required. Connecting to phones with programmed readout using picture preparation and AI methods, could permit mass testing to be connected with geospatial and patient data quickly answered to both clinical frameworks and general wellbeing frameworks and could accelerate results. For everything to fall into place viably, normalization of information and incorporation of information into digital patient records are required.
The negligence associated with electronic means and the ways in which they can be resolved
During this situation, there is a misuse of CT scans and biomarkers which causes damage because many people are doing CT scans the moment they test positive and even People with mild symptoms and asymptomatic go with CT scans which is harmful and leads to cancer. Even a lot of people with mild symptoms go with the CRP, didimer, LDH ferritin which causes a panic reaction. These are markers of aggravation that go up in any event when you have a typical cold or tooth contamination. This doesn’t show if the illness has advanced. This ought to be done when you have a moderate disease.
Another electronic negligence about online dispute resolution has increased due to the social distancing era. This has also shifted traditional courts to online courts which helps to seek justice even during this pandemic. How to use technologies is considered by courts and implications to access justice. Hospital negligence has been a stress factor for both doctors and patients. Doctors are aware the treatment can go wrong if the burden falls on them to make treatment perfect and patients on the other hand trust doctors and healthcare professionals. It is also common for both doctors and patients to be a bit careless. However, recently the growth of technology in healthcare has led to a great initiative that reduces the chance of any kind of accident. The use of machine learning in healthcare has been making great progress to curing incidents of medical negligence. For tortious negligence, a doctor may be asked to pay compensation and damages to the injury but under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, he may be awarded imprisonment or fine. Doctors take defence under Sections 80 and 88 of IPC that there is always scope of misfortune in case of surgery. Parties can approach the court through FIR or a private complaint. A Private complaint is accepted by the court when the complainant has primary evidence for negligence. As the medical industry is developing there are new illnesses or diseases discovered by scientists. As every doctor can’t know everything that’s why there is this machine learning tool that can scan and present the symptoms of the disease and make recommendations based on readings.
Even in the instance of COVID-19, Medical Learning (ML) had previously discovered SARS-like Virus and was aware of the epidemic. There are many cases of medical malpractice which are due to limited knowledge like lung infection can’t be cured by a normal physician but with the help of AI technology, it can help in information and suggest a possible diagnosis. AI in healthcare is still new. There are still many medical things that need refining and problems to be fixed. The medical sector still needs to develop in a way that will not cause negligence. The solution may be regulating the medical activities and treatment in times of COVID-19, as discharge policies can be revised as per the new concept by WHO and ICMR on COVID-19. States must be involved to direct the allocation of medical assistance by creating a public portal for updating the availability of beds, ventilators, etc. and Clinical Establishments (Registrations and Regulations) Act, 2010 which was established for the corruption-related cases in the medical industry and strict penalties are also implemented.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and there will be more technological advancements in digital media that will help fight against the pandemic. With the help of technological advancements, monitoring of the (Covid) curves have been made easier across the country as earlier it would have made it much harder to pursue and monitor based on the policies we have and follow in our country. In the competition to contain the spread of a profoundly contagious infection, nations that have immediately sent electronic help to work with arranging, observation, testing, contact following, isolate, and clinical administration have stayed leaders in overseeing sickness trouble. The extensive reactions of nations that have been fruitful at control and alleviation can give knowledge to nations that are yet confronting a flood of cases. In 2020, it’s an ideal opportunity to learn from parallel discussions about the utilization of electronic media for the public interest. The public is characteristically political ideas, not guaranteed. We’re far enough along to perceive that there’s enormous worth to be acquired from the successful utilization of innovation. Yet, this worth is acknowledged by working through frameworks, not by disordering them when we need them most.
The future of the public health sector is growing digitally and is accepting the importance of digital technology due to the pandemic and how planning is urgent. Technology companies who are important stakeholders in technological media should be investors in this pandemic. There should be an urgent requirement of international help and involvement of regulation and implementation on the use of digital media to manage this ongoing pandemic and future preparation for covid19 and other diseases.
This analysis is based and focused around on the utilization and in some cases misuse of technology and innovation(s) pointing directly with respect to pandemic response and reactions and purposefully avoids the frameworks systems and technological advances associated (or utilized) when second-wave hit back, some smaller and symbolic steps have also been ignored during this analysis like direct public communication, economic boost through stimulus or law enforcement through ordinances (in context of India). In the end, we come to realise and acknowledge that technology, although a very niche thing, has no limited boundaries and can be expanded beyond what we perceive it typically.
References
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