ver since the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan in December 2019, all eyes are on China as the world fights the pandemic. China has received brickbats, especially from the U.S. for failing to be more forthcoming regarding the actual number of people infected by the virus and loss of lives—a charge Beijing has denied.
However, the country has also earned accolades, including from the World Health Organization (WHO), for its aggressive actions, including the lockdown, curbing of personal mobility, quick detection, isolation and treatment of infected people, as well as the use of high-tech surveillance to prevent the spread of the virus and save lives.
Allegations, counter-allegations, and conspiracy theories aside, there is a lot for the world to learn from the innovative measures deployed by China to combat the pandemic and put its economy on a path to revival.
China formed a national leading group for epidemic response headed by the country’s prime minister, to ensure a unified command, quick decision-making, and expediting implementation of the measures taken on an urgent basis. It certainly helps that the nature of the Chinese administrative political system is centralized, making it easier and faster to move on decisions that have a national impact.
The spotlight has been on criticism against the Chinese authorities, including those at the provincial level, for their slow response to the crisis in the initial stages, and then for the drastic and stringent measures that adversely impacted human rights.
However, this meant that many in the international community might have missed the rapid deployment of high-technology by China to fight the spread of the disease.
China has applied proactively exponential technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to boost contact tracing and the management of priority populations, as well as 5G platforms to provide support to healthcare operations in remote areas. It also unveiled emergency scientific research programmes aimed at the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines in order to gain more insight into the virus and its transmission, among other things.
Chinese universities are focusing on AI forecasting of Covid-19. For instance, researchers in the Shanghai-based Fudan University have released a paper on the topic showing high accuracy of such AI forecasting, in turn making strong a case for further use of AI-based technologies in public health-related policies and measures.
Then, there are research organizations like the Damo Academy of Alibaba as well as tech major Baidu’s LinearFold (claiming to be “the world’s fastest algorithm for ribonucleic acid—or RNA—secondary structure prediction”), and a company called Infervision that are developing AI-based solutions for faster and more accurate detection of disease and greater understanding of the virus.
Big data is being used for contact tracing in China in a more intrusive manner than the infectious diseases-related data collection and sharing measures being looked at currently in the U.S. and European nations that have strong privacy protection laws.
However, according to the Chinese government, the country is addressing these apprehensions through the use of high-tech. Several blockchain-based applications are being rolled out to strengthen the security of public health records and protect privacy. In order to prevent data leakage and theft, personal information is being stored in an encrypted format in cloud servers that operate using blockchain technology and have obtained international privacy protection certification. Data storage is also performed in a manner in which no entity, including the company that collects such personal information, will be able to access the original data. In addition, all personal data on these platforms will have to be automatically deleted as and when the pandemic ends.
Additionally, big data and digital platforms are being deployed by the Chinese government to make sure that people living on subsistence allowances do not face economic hardship. These technologies are also being used to help retain the names of people residing in regions severely hit by Covid-19 in the list of eligible beneficiaries of such allowances until the elimination of the viral disease. However, there are reports of business persons in China facing difficulties as they had to follow the government directives on paying their workers a minimum subsistence allowance.
China is using big data analytics to help its Customs officials with implementing border control measures that are being taken to fight the spread of the disease.
The Chinese government is providing greater support to technologies focused on AI, advanced computing, blockchain, broadband communications, core software, micro/nano/opto electronics, and new materials that are proving to be effective in curbing the spread of Covid-19. Nanotech materials with self-cleaning capabilities are being used on walls and lifts to prevent the spread of infections. Also, the country has AI-supported diagnostic systems.
In the wake of this pandemic, countries will have to rely more on innovative and effective use of exponential technologies and related research, and offer useful and affordable solutions to the entire global community. In this regard, it is important for the world to take note of how China is leaving no stone unturned to gain advantage and reap the benefits.
a global affairs media network
Lessons from China’s High-Tech Response to Covid-19
April 15, 2020
E
ver since the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan in December 2019, all eyes are on China as the world fights the pandemic. China has received brickbats, especially from the U.S. for failing to be more forthcoming regarding the actual number of people infected by the virus and loss of lives—a charge Beijing has denied.
However, the country has also earned accolades, including from the World Health Organization (WHO), for its aggressive actions, including the lockdown, curbing of personal mobility, quick detection, isolation and treatment of infected people, as well as the use of high-tech surveillance to prevent the spread of the virus and save lives.
Allegations, counter-allegations, and conspiracy theories aside, there is a lot for the world to learn from the innovative measures deployed by China to combat the pandemic and put its economy on a path to revival.
China formed a national leading group for epidemic response headed by the country’s prime minister, to ensure a unified command, quick decision-making, and expediting implementation of the measures taken on an urgent basis. It certainly helps that the nature of the Chinese administrative political system is centralized, making it easier and faster to move on decisions that have a national impact.
The spotlight has been on criticism against the Chinese authorities, including those at the provincial level, for their slow response to the crisis in the initial stages, and then for the drastic and stringent measures that adversely impacted human rights.
However, this meant that many in the international community might have missed the rapid deployment of high-technology by China to fight the spread of the disease.
China has applied proactively exponential technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to boost contact tracing and the management of priority populations, as well as 5G platforms to provide support to healthcare operations in remote areas. It also unveiled emergency scientific research programmes aimed at the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines in order to gain more insight into the virus and its transmission, among other things.
Chinese universities are focusing on AI forecasting of Covid-19. For instance, researchers in the Shanghai-based Fudan University have released a paper on the topic showing high accuracy of such AI forecasting, in turn making strong a case for further use of AI-based technologies in public health-related policies and measures.
Then, there are research organizations like the Damo Academy of Alibaba as well as tech major Baidu’s LinearFold (claiming to be “the world’s fastest algorithm for ribonucleic acid—or RNA—secondary structure prediction”), and a company called Infervision that are developing AI-based solutions for faster and more accurate detection of disease and greater understanding of the virus.
Big data is being used for contact tracing in China in a more intrusive manner than the infectious diseases-related data collection and sharing measures being looked at currently in the U.S. and European nations that have strong privacy protection laws.
However, according to the Chinese government, the country is addressing these apprehensions through the use of high-tech. Several blockchain-based applications are being rolled out to strengthen the security of public health records and protect privacy. In order to prevent data leakage and theft, personal information is being stored in an encrypted format in cloud servers that operate using blockchain technology and have obtained international privacy protection certification. Data storage is also performed in a manner in which no entity, including the company that collects such personal information, will be able to access the original data. In addition, all personal data on these platforms will have to be automatically deleted as and when the pandemic ends.
Additionally, big data and digital platforms are being deployed by the Chinese government to make sure that people living on subsistence allowances do not face economic hardship. These technologies are also being used to help retain the names of people residing in regions severely hit by Covid-19 in the list of eligible beneficiaries of such allowances until the elimination of the viral disease. However, there are reports of business persons in China facing difficulties as they had to follow the government directives on paying their workers a minimum subsistence allowance.
China is using big data analytics to help its Customs officials with implementing border control measures that are being taken to fight the spread of the disease.
The Chinese government is providing greater support to technologies focused on AI, advanced computing, blockchain, broadband communications, core software, micro/nano/opto electronics, and new materials that are proving to be effective in curbing the spread of Covid-19. Nanotech materials with self-cleaning capabilities are being used on walls and lifts to prevent the spread of infections. Also, the country has AI-supported diagnostic systems.
In the wake of this pandemic, countries will have to rely more on innovative and effective use of exponential technologies and related research, and offer useful and affordable solutions to the entire global community. In this regard, it is important for the world to take note of how China is leaving no stone unturned to gain advantage and reap the benefits.
