Although many nations are finally slowing down the threat of COVID-19, the coronavirus pandemic’s threat on a global scale is still apparent. Thankfully, we now have essential information on its transmission patterns. With the right treatment protocols, it’s much easier to effectively handle second waves by those on the frontlines, from doctor’s offices to government agencies.
How COVID-19 affected the development of better healthcare technologies
The global pandemic became a wake-up call for all healthcare institutions to realize the obvious weaknesses in its infrastructures. Many of the nations who are still suffering from severe cases of COVID-19 are the ones who couldn’t adapt or employ modern methods of handling the disease. COVID-19’s threat reveals an evident need to improve our healthcare technologies. Primarily in three specific areas: contact tracing, foot traffic management, and resource stewardship.
We will share the three aspects of COVID-19 responses and what it means for healthcare institutions moving forward to post-COVID infrastructures.
1. Identifying infection hotspots through contact tracing
Contact tracing is a labor-intensive act of identifying any potential hotspots for high contraction among individuals. It’s one of the medical community’s preventative responses to reduce infection rates. One of our healthcare experts’ many discoveries during the COVID-19 pandemic is the event of super-spreader effects. This points to the transmission of higher contraction rates that come from large, indoor gatherings or dense crowds. The culprit during these blow-ups of cases are asymptomatic individuals who are unaware of their condition.
Public health officials can track down their previous foot traffic by identifying super spreaders by effective contact tracing. It ensures that exposed individuals can get notified of their potential medical condition to undergo quarantine or receive treatment when necessary. Smartphones became instrumental in contact tracing, with GPS technologies allowing health experts to use location monitoring data history. This could be a viable step toward cellphone-based tracing for other similar diseases in the future.
2. Preventing high contraction rates through foot tragic management
As we’re still under the threat of COVID-19, many public facilities and establishments need to observe proper social distancing. This calls for effective foot traffic management to ensure that there would be no instances of dense gatherings that can boost infection cases.
By spending less time outdoors, people will have a lesser chance of being infected with COVID-19. Besides benefiting the healthcare industry, effective queue management will be an excellent way to space out appointments for other sectors. Reducing the volume of on-site attendees can reduce any possible waiting time for consultations and meetings.
3. Allocating for healthcare institutions’ needs through resources stewardship
The first wave of COVID-19 around the world revealed the dangerous lack of healthcare equipment. PPEs, ventilators, and ICU beds were essential commodities for hospitals facing an outbreak. Managing these physical assets to the right resources were necessary to ensure that all healthcare workers and patients were safe from the disease.
Through artificial intelligence-driven predictive tools, administrators and government officials can project a healthcare facility’s probable logistical needs. Modern medical centers can then make better real-time decisions on allocating their budget for these resources’ supply and demand.
Conclusion
After experiencing such a sudden healthcare crisis, we must develop better ways to adapt to similar and future threats. While the world continues to heal and move on from COVID-19, growing advancements in healthcare technologies ensure that we will become ready to respond to another pandemic.
Healthcare technologies continue to grow and adapt as the world faces modern threats. Read through our medical news articles to stay updated on the latest healthcare technologies innovations and how it can affect the future.
