Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful tool for tracking and treating Covid-19 in the U.S. and abroad.
Several institutions in the U.S. are developing new AI technologies or using existing technologies to monitor and treat the new coronavirus.
The HealthMap, an AI application managed by Boston Children’s Hospital, was launched in 2006. It was one of the first tracking mechanisms to detect the Covid-19 outbreak in China.
“HealthMap data has been used for research studies on infectious disease cases,” said Kara Sewalk from Boston Children’s Hospital, “and it can even be used by the general public to receive real-time information about disease cases in their community” or in places they may pass through.
The HealthMap algorithm collects online data about infectious disease cases worldwide from media outlets and social media in 15 languages. The system uses machine learning and natural language processing technologies to track outbreaks, Kara said.
Before the pandemic, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) worked for 18 months aiming to create an AI system to detect pneumonia and lung injuries in patients.
When Covid-19 cases began arriving at UCSD-affiliated hospitals, doctors used their technology to help diagnose and track Covid-19 in over 6,000 chest X-rays, according to media reports.
A recent study conducted by researchers in the U.S. and China found that AI correctly diagnosed Covid-19 in 68% of a sample of patients who underwent normal chest exams and were classified as negative for Covid-19 by radiologists.
This innovation in the U.S. comes after “$12 billion allocated by agencies and departments across the U.S. government aimed at benefiting the global response, including the development of vaccines and therapeutic methods, readiness efforts, and humanitarian assistance,” said Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in a statement.
The efforts to track Covid-19 using AI are part of broader international efforts to share data and conduct research aimed at curing Covid-19.
Source: Shareamerica