When going through our daily lives, it is clear that IT has an integral part in our ‘new normal’. From the CoronaCheck app for going out to Microsoft Teams for working from home. But it goes further than that, as there are many technologies which have helped during this difficult period in various parts of the world.
To name a few technologies which were or are critical as solutions (He, Zhang, & Li, 2021) (Ye, Zhou, & Wu, 2020):
- Machine Learning / Deep Learning
For diagnostic and prognostic analysis and automatic detection of Covid-19. - Big Data Analytics
For contact tracing and epidemic prediction. - HPC Infrastructures
For new drug and vaccine development and drugs selection. - Robots
For various uses, from surface disinfection to temperature measurement and social robots to keep patients company during a lonely time. - 3D Printing Technology
For making protective masks and test swabs. - Digital Contact Tracing Technology
For the widely known smartphone tracing applications. - Internet of Things
For a smart disease surveillance system and ensuring patient compliance with quarantine. - Blockchain
For an immunity certificate system.
There is, however, a subject to discuss regarding these technologies: the digital divide. The digital divide is, in simple terms, the uneven access to digital content and connection. This could be because of numerous things, such as people not having easy access to technology or having anyone to help them with it. An example in The Netherlands could be the Corona QR code. The standard now would be downloading the app, but there are groups of people who can’t do this, such as the elderly. Therefore, the digital divide has to be included in the thought process for technology solutions as mentioned above. One of the things IT companies could do is testing and making sure their designs and processes are simple enough to be understood by almost anyone (He, Zhang, & Li, 2021). Innovation is one thing, making sure most people benefit is another.
As for the reason behind this blog, I really think this shows part of the importance of studying the field of IT. Many of the named technologies are mentioned during our program and here we are, seeing them in full effect. Next to that, IT is a big part of today’s society anyways, its involvement in the fight against a global crisis truly shows the extend of our future potential workfield.
References
He, W., Zhang, Z., & Li, W. (2021). Information technology solutions, challenges, and suggestions for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Information Management, 1-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102287
Ye, Q., Zhou, J., & Wu, H. (2020). Using Information Technology to Manage the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Technical Framework Based on Practical Experience in China. JMIR Med Inform. doi:10.2196/19515
Hi Lindsay,
Really good point made in this post! I specially agree that digital divide is definitely a growing issue and can be source of many inequalities, even more in technologies applied to critical services such as health as in the Covid case. I think it’s responsibility of everyone working in the Information field to make sure that products are accessible to all the population equally, and that’s something we should try to work for as BIM students and future employees.
I think another point in this digital divide is not only that some people don’t have the knowledge to use these products, but they might not even have the access to digital devices or an internet access to use them. This might not seem so relevant in Europe or other rich regions, but it is a problem in developing countries that has to be addressed. In healthcare, this limited access to IT is a big barrier in some African countries for example, and it is creating a preoccupying digital gap between some countries.
Regarding Covid, it is indeed very impressive to see how technologies are contributing to fight this pandemic, it is a good example of how IT helps improve our lives and makes investigation more efficient. I was curious about the blockchain solution listed in the post, are there any national certificate systems using it? I think most European countries use an encrypted system but it is not supported in blockchain.
Thanks for the interesting article!
Hi Carmen, thank you for your comment! Good question about blockchain! Blockchain is used in research to, for example, further try and minimize the chance of falsification of immunity certificates. So while it is not currently implemented, the research being done still is (or could be) important! An interesting research paper I found on the subject is “Sharing Pandemic Vaccination Certificates through Blockchain: Case Study and Performance Evaluation” if you’re interested!
Hi Lindsay, nice blog post! COVID-19 has really made us all realize how much we can do with IT. Seeing the different technologies you listed in the blog, makes me wonder how we would have dealt with such a pandemic even a decade ago. Another interesting the point you have raised is about the digital divide. Within Europe and other developed countries, this is less of an issue. However, even in the most developed nations, the older generations simply do not have the knowledge to use these technologies we all have access to. I know this from personal experience! Recently, I was helping my grandmother with displaying a QR code on her smartphone which she barely knows how to use was and was more of a challenge then one would expect. IT will continue to transform our society and we need to make sure that everybody has an equal opportunity in the benefits these technologies give us.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Tamas, thank you for your comment! I agree with what you say, thinking of how the last two years could have gone without technology is almost impossible! Funnily enough, I had the exact same experience with my grandfather just after writing this blog, so that made me see this subject in my own life! Let’s hope we can indeed make sure everybody gets an equal opportunity, I know I will try my best to help!
Hi Lindsay, Thank you for your interesting post. I do agree with your viewpoint, I would like to explore an alternative perspective on the matter in which that Information Technology has actually facilitate not a “digital divide” but a “digital collide” during the COVID-19 Pandemic. During the pandemic, a lot of brick-to-mortar companies have also gone to online platforms such as Amazon marketplace that have actually saved the business. Furthermore, the Fin-tech market during COVID-19 has shown to have rapid growth particularly in emerging markets and developing economies. This would suggest financial inclusion rather than financial exclusion, among those who need it most.
Hi Felien, thank you for your comment! Alternative perspectives are always welcome! I do see what you mean with digital collide. However, I think that in this case, it is not either-or but actually both! The pandemic has forced us to be more creative than ever and that, as you said, definitely brought positives too! It just does not take away that some negatives can be seen as well. Of course, we can find positives and negatives about almost anything – so while we continue to be grateful for the positives, we should also keep working on bettering the negatives!