Explained: How technology is helping nations combat Coronavirus outbreak

As countries across the world battle the coronavirus pandemic, doctors, nurses and other health care workers are on the front line of the fight against the deadly virus. And they are being assisted by some cutting-edge tools and technology:

Robots to the Rescue

We've seen how robots are assisting doctors in hospitals, and even spraying disinfectant mist on the streets. Now, these machines were seen performing other tasks too. Designed in India, these robots are spreading awareness about Covid-19, the disease that has killed thousands of people worldwide.

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Developed by Asimov Robotics, they can be seen distributing face masks and sanitisers, giving information about the contagion and cleaning doors at a startup complex in an Indian city of Kerala.

The startup is trying to put the robots into use at public places like airports and malls. They have sought permission from authorities to do this.

Elderly people are the most at risk of developing a serious infection from the coronavirus. For this reason, the Belgium government has banned visitors from elderly care homes.

But these video-calling robots are helping senior citizens keep in touch with their family and friends. Zorabots, a Belgian robotics software firm, is lending a fleet of such robots to makes lives a little easier for those that have been isolated.

The robots are fitted with a simplified interface so a care home worker can programme them to self-navigate to a resident's room and connect a video call through Facebook Messenger.

Makers plan to use these robots to help ease social isolation among the elderly. Each robot costs 2,500 euros, the company will initially lend 60 of them to the elderly care homes.

Tracking Your Phone

Israel is deploying cyber monitoring in the battle against the coronavirus. It will track the mobile phones of people suspected of coronavirus and retrace their movements. They will then locate and alert those who may have been in proximity with the infected people.

Israeli authorities say the data collected by the Shin Bet Internal Security Service would be used only to halt the spread of the disease, it will be deleted when the emergency is over.

The move, however, has been criticised by the opposition and a rights group as it has always been reserved for counter-terrorism purposes. They call the move 'a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope'. We say - it’s debatable.

Not just Israel, even the US government is thinking on a similar line. Facebook and Google are in talks with Washington over potentially using individuals' personal data to track and combat the coronavirus outbreak.

It would require authorities to track the location of smartphone users, the data will be anonymously used to map the spread of the disease, anticipate the next hotpot and predict urgent medical needs.

The use of personal data in the US is highly sensitive after several scandals, such as in 2011 when the national security agency was found to be collecting phone records without permission. But the pressure has been mounting on Silicon Valley to use their expertise to fight the deadly virus.

Aerial Surveillance

Spanish police are using drones to prevent the virus from spreading, designed with powerful loudspeakers, they are flying and asking people walking in the streets to return to their homes. Spain is now in a state of alert, with people banned from leaving home except to go to work, get medical care or buy food.

China is using drones to patrol areas and keep a tab on crowds more efficiently. It’s helping authorities to identify those who are roaming without masks, drones are also spraying disinfectant in public spaces.

Japan is using drones to deliver medical supplies without exposing humans to potential infection. Let's hope these measures help in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.