Combating the Pandemic with Innovation

In the words of technology maverick Bill Gates, “we’re changing the world with technology.” Technology has led the way for man to advance in every aspect of life, and now more than ever, we rely on technology to find solutions to one of the biggest challenges we face today: the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

As the world waits for the COVID-19 vaccine, every country has had to devise their own game plan to flatten the curve. Technology has played a crucial role in how the country has been coping with the global pandemic. Aside from helping transition the majority of the country’s workforce to work from home set-up, technology has played a vital role in helping the frontliners as well as the rest of Filipinos in the battle against COVID-19.

Science has paved the way for amazing advancements in order for our countrymen to deal with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the community quarantine was enforced nationwide, scientists from the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health, the Philippine Genome Center, and the Manila HealthTek Inc. developed local test kits to fast track testing in the country. Their test kits feature Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, which identifies the Ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the virus at a rapid speed until it is detected by a computer. These kits  are capable of putting out results in 2 hours, and are significantly cheaper than their foreign counterparts. At PhP 1,300 per kit, this locally-produced test kit is six times cheaper than its foreign counterpart that costs PhP 8,500.

Data collection is essential for accurate tallying of active cases in the country. These data, in turn, help the government with their programs and policies that address the pandemic. To deliver fast, accurate, and real-time data reports on COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) recently announced the launch of the COVID KAYA application. Exclusively for registered health workers, the app is an electronic case investigation form used by local government units, laboratories, and hospitals to input COVID-19 patients details and information which can be seen by other facilities of DOH for faster and easier validation of cases. COVID KAYA fastracks the collection of data, and addresses information gaps relating to the country’s COVID-19 health situation.

The battle against COVID-19 doesn’t end at the frontlines and in health facilities. Knowledge is power, and in the new normal, technology has made important information more accessible to all. Many websites, such as DOH’s COVID-19 Healthy Pinas and COVID-19 tracker,  have been put up in order to educate people further about the pandemic as well as give updates on COVID-19 cases in the country. COVID-19 Healthy Pinas compiles all COVID-19 related information for the public’s convenience, while the COVID-19 tracker gives comprehensive updates on the number of cases, recoveries, and deaths in the country, and among Filipinos across the globe.

In addition to these websites, DOH also launched the DOH DataCollect application to complement the COVID-19 tracker so the public can have a snapshot of the Philippine health system’s capacity in responding to the pandemic. The DataCollect app gathers daily data from hospitals and stakeholders such as essential resources and supplies, availability of hospital beds, isolation rooms, ICU beds and mechanical ventilators, and human resource needs.

Local app developers stepped up to the plate to help Filipinos cope with the pandemic on the community level as well. Spring Valley Tech Corp., teamed up with CMI Tech to develop Citizen’s Logistics and Early Assessment Report tool or C.L.E.A.R, a software app that allows users to track their state of health on a daily basis, and enable contact tracing when necessary. Available in mobile app and website format, C.L.E.A.R’s goal is to help Filipinos and their respective communities be informed of possible COVID-19 infections, and provide healthcare authorities with the tools to trace the spread of infections in order to prevent an outbreak.

One positive news amidst the pandemic is that Filipinos have demonstrated the spirit of bayanihan through various altruistic endeavors, but with the multitude of good causes, it’s hard to choose which initiative to support. In line with this, global tech juggernaut Google has provided cloud and maps services support to local website Dashboard Philippines to help Filipinos access relevant and credible information related to COVID-19. Dashboard Philippines is one of the first local websites that track initiatives and donation drives to communities, and it also maps out medical facilities that are in need of additional resources. Furthermore provides information on open establishments, and shuttle routes for everyone’s convenience.

These are a few among the amazing Filipino-led innovations that are helping the country fight the global pandemic. However, we all need to work together in order to help flatten the curve. While the fight against COVID-19 appears to be a long uphill battle, when we follow safety protocols, and trust the science, it’s possible to be part of the solution, and emerge victorious against the virus. Technology can only do so much. We need to take action too.