Pakistan Can Use Big Data For Prevention, Control Of COVID-19, Work Resumption

Countries like China tapped big data to track and contain the COVID-19 pandemic and have achieved gratifying results, which provides reference for the whole world including Pakistan

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2020 ): Countries like China tapped big data to track and contain the COVID-19 pandemic and have achieved gratifying results, which provides reference for the whole world including Pakistan.

Big data, an important basic strategic resource for each country these days, is providing effective guidance for infection prevention and control as well as work resumption. This may be a real opportunity for big data to truly enter the vision of the public, governments and companies. Each of them can't give it a miss, according to an article published by China Economic Net (CEN) on Friday.

Actually, similar research based on big data had ever been done in Pakistan. As early as in 2015, Pakistani Telenor Group worked with Harvard and other academic partners, in utilizing anonymised mobile call data of over 30 million mobile subscribers during the 2013 dengue outbreak, to predict the geographic spread and timing of epidemics throughout the country. These fine-scale dynamic risk maps with direct application to dengue containment and epidemic preparedness enable the authorities to better forecast the outbreak of dengue and other diseases spread by human mobility.

This year, big data has been more widely used by countries around the world to fight against COVID-19. Especially China has done an incredible job.

In China, comprehensive data set is used to forecast hotspots for the disease so that more smart decisions can be made about stay-at-home orders and to help healthcare systems prepare for a surge of cases. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology rallied experts to provide consultation and created models for processing telecommunications data to count the population flowing to different cities across the country, especially from Wuhan and other cities of Hubei Province, which greatly improved the efficiency of infection prevention and control work in various regions.

These kinds of outbreak analytics take all available data, including the number of confirmed cases, deaths, tracing contacts of infected people, population densities, maps, traveler flow, etc. and then processes it to create models, which represent the best predictions regarding peak infection rates and outcomes.

Furthermore, big data provides assistance for Chinese enterprises to resist risks and resume work. For instance, traffic data of international flights can help companies that have transnational business learn about the international community's response to the pandemic and timely draw up emergency plans.

In Shanghai, to help companies resume work, the Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization made use of the big data of companies manufacturing medical protective clothing, 75% alcohol sanitizer spray and infrared thermometer to formulate subsidy policies and special support to allow those enterprises to resume production as soon as possible.

While utilizing big data to fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics, striking a delicate balance between security and privacy is also an age-old concern for ordinary people.

Big data itself is not about good or evil while the key is how to use this technology for social good. During this special period, it is not a question of spying on everyone forever but of saving more people's lives for a time that demands temporary rules.

Big data used in a responsible way will definitely help the world cope with the health crisis and restart.