We have been living in a digital world for almost two decades but none of us has ever imagined to use technology in a way that would reshape the contours of our daily life in such a great manner. After the corona virus outbreak, the impact of technology has monumentally increased.

While the COVID-19 pandemic reconstructs the way in which we work, keep in touch, go to school and shop for daily items; technology is playing a great role in minimizing the impact of the pandemic. The technological advancement marks a difference from the previous strategies against the pandemics. This time we are more powerful than previous times of Spanish Flu (1918-1920), Asian Flu (1957-1958) and SARS (2002–2004) in terms of technology.

Following are some of the main technologies that help us fight against the COVID-19 outbreak:

1. Communication Channels:

As of now we have many communication channels which are being used by the government and health sector agencies to effectively communicate the information about the changing behaviour of the virus, the symptoms and the precautionary measures which are necessary to protect the people. With the ballooning 3.81 billion social media users, the applications like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp stand as the most vibrant source to disseminate the pandemic-related updates. In addition, governments with the help of telecom companies are using SMS service to reach out to even more people. It helps the governments to stretch their reach among the people who don’t have a smart phone or don’t use social media.

2. Location Data

Advancements in GIS (geographic information system) capacitate us to find and track a person’s location more precisely. It helps healthcare and other workforces to better understand the location of confirmed and potential corona patients. There are different techniques that are used to find relation between confirmed and a potential patient, including the contact possibilities of a patient with other people.

As we know that this virus is contagious so more precise contact tracking data will be a huge step in minimizing the impact of COVID-19. In this context, two tech giants Apple and Google have initiated a joint venture regarding COVID-19 contact tracing technology. This partnership can be a game changer with respect to creating a more effective contact tracking system.

3. Mobile Phones

There are 4.8 billion mobile phone users around the world, which means that almost 62% of the world population possesses mobile phones, and it is much more than the previous pandemic times. The huge number makes mobile phone a great tool to be used to reach people and aware them about the impact of the outbreak. Many developed countries are using this opportunity to a next level. For instance, China has developed an app to assign a color code to everyone based on their data that either a person needs to be quarantined or allowed in public spaces. It helps the government and citizens to better manage their daily life operations in this pandemic.

4. Rapid Response Testing Kits

It is better to isolate high-risk patients and their recent contacts as soon as possible, so that they do not spread the virus to others, unknowingly. It requires a robust testing capability. Rapid Response Testing Kits enable the testing of potential COVID-19 patients within an hour.

5. Online Shopping

Before the corona outbreak, the trend of online shopping was increasing at a slow pace. But due to the lockdown, online shopping sites witnessed a rapid increase in sales as more and more people tend to stay at home. When WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, customers mainly tried to buy and stock grocery items. Online shopping helped people to stay at home and get their required products delivered at their doorstep. As it was the need of hour so some companies even used drones and robots for product delivery to avoid human contact. There are strong chances that these delivery models would be used more frequently in near future.

6. Remote Work

It is one of the biggest changes that has been experienced by a number of industries due to COVID-19 outbreak. Because of the lockdown in most of the cities, many industries have shifted to remote work model as this is the best solution to avoid human contact. This model has helped organisations to continue their work through the hard times. It becomes possible due to the availability of mobile devices and high-speed internet. The Internet traffic ‘tripled’ during the last few months of lockdown as more and more people became dependent on the internet. In addtion, the predominance of 5G will add more value to the internet world. It will help developing the remote work model more thorough and pervasive. Remote work, partially or fully, will be continued for many organizations even after this pandemic as it reduces the office expenses.

7. Distance Learning

Like other departments, schools, colleges and universities have also closed. To minimize the impact of closure, authorities are implementing Online Classes system as per their capacity. It is also one of the best benefits we have got from technological advancements in this on-hold situation. Some universities are also preparing to take their examination and evaluation systems via online links because the pandemic may last longer and we need to educate our children as well.

8. Telehealth

It is where health and technology meet, and healthcare services are made available to more individuals. Patients can contact their doctor via video link to get a proper diagnosis and prescription while staying at home. It will increase the reach of healthcare system in distant areas. Moreover, it will provide comfort to the female doctors who want to pursue the profession while staying at home.

As of now, COVID-19 corona virus Pandemic has affected more than six million people. The positive take is that the death rate in most of the countries is not much high. Almost every professional from a variety of industries is working hard to minimize the impact of pandemic, and is trying to restart the world. We should also play our role in bringing the world back to work.

Stay Home – Stay Safe