Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University created a coronavirus app that uses machine intelligence to put coronavirus diagnosis in the hands of the patients.
A coronavirus app coupled with machine intelligence will soon enable an individual to get an at-home risk assessment based on how they feel and where they've been in about a minute, and direct those deemed at risk to the nearest definitive testing facility, investigators say. Source: Phil Jones, Senior Photographer, Augusta University
The coronavirus has caused panic all over the world. Japan closed schools, people are imposing two-week self-quarantines, and some are being forced to stay on cruise ships for days after their trip has ended. All of this has caused many to panic and hospitals are struggling to keep up with the rush of people requesting tests. When too many people rush to get tested, it puts unnecessary pressure on hospitals and can lead to supply shortages.
The app allows people to get an at-home health assessment in one minute based on how they feel and where they have recently been. If the app detects that a person may be infected, it directs them to the nearest testing facility. The app uses Rao, an algorithm that rapidly assesses the information, provides risk assessment and alerts the nearest facility to the patient’s status.
During the assessment, the app asks users where they live; their gender, age, race; and if they have had recent contact with people with coronavirus or who have traveled to areas with high infection rates in the last two weeks. It also asks if the user has experienced any of the coronavirus symptoms, like fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sputum production, headache, diarrhea and pneumonia.
Other than quelling people's worries, the app provides local and public health officials with real-time information on emerging demographics of those who are most at risk for better prevention and treatment initiatives.
The team is working with developers to finalize the app within a few weeks. Once released, the app will be available to everyone for free. The team says that the app could be adjusted in the future to analyze other infectious diseases.
A paper on this app was published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
