Coronavirus: Technology hurts and helps

The most troubling health emergency in the world now is the coronavirus, recently renamed COVID-19.

So far, it has reached a grim milestone: the death toll has significantly passed the 1,000 mark, and tens of thousands more are infected. The international community is burning the candle at both ends, searching for ways to end the fast-spreading virus.

Coronavirus is analogous to a monster with a long tail; it will be a long time before we can see its end. Efforts to stop its spread are helped and hampered by internet-reliant technologies in equal measure.

The claim that the virus can be cured by drinking some garlic concoction or bleach is bogus. Similarly, the insinuation that it can be conquered by ultraviolet lamps or sesame oil is fake news. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that these claims not only misinform, but they also frustrate efforts to contain the epidemic.

The prodigious power of the internet is fanning the spread of these conspiracy theories, which often circulate faster than the truth.

Realising how hurting the propaganda is, Facebook has said that it will take down erroneous information posted on its platform.

This is a rare departure from the company’s previous position that it would not arrogate to itself the role of policing users’ views.

In China, WeChat — the Chinese version of WhatsApp — has vowed to permanently ban or cripple the accounts of users who maliciously disseminate unfounded information related to the epidemic.

On the flip side, technology has become one of the most potent tools in the control of the coronavirus. WeChat, for instance, has added a function that shows its users the locations of hospitals providing care to the infected.

Telecom companies, including China Mobile and China Unicom, have become critical channels for disseminating essential messages to their subscribers. They have sent billions of text messages educating the public about the epidemic.

The power of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) is a big boon to fighting the virus as computers are used to process loads of data and elicit intelligence to complement human efforts.

Furthermore, China is using its surveillance capabilities and data from many sources, including state-owned enterprises, airlines, phone companies and transportation systems to track the virus and take swift action.

Baidu — China’s Google equivalent — for example, has developed an AI-based contactless temperature detection technology that is now being used in Beijing train stations to detect and record passengers’ body temperatures.

Used effectively, not only can AI sense false news and cull it out, it can push out good science. It can also aid in fact-checking.

These hi-tech tools have their limitations, especially in poor countries with a shortage of quality data, but they can still supplement human efforts. Importantly, in the face of frequent epidemics, the global community can rely more on AI to predict and prevent them.

Wambugu is an informatician. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @samwambugu2