Analysing Recovery From Pandemics by Learning Theory: The Case of CoVid-19

We present a method for predicting the recovery time from infectious diseases outbreaks such as the recent CoVid-19 virus. The approach is based on the theory of learning from errors, specifically adapted to the control of the virus spread by reducing infection rates using countermeasures such as medical treatment, isolation, social distancing etc. When these are effective, the infection rate, after reaching a peak, declines following what we call the Universal Recovery Curve. We use presently available data from many countries to make actual predictions of the recovery trend and time needed for securing minimum infection rates in the future. We claim that the trend of decline is direct evidence of learning about risk reduction, also in this case of the pandemic.

*Published in the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Section within IEEE Access.

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A Comprehensive Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of IoT, Drones, AI, Blockchain, and 5G in Managing its Impact

The unprecedented outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, termed as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), has placed numerous governments around the world in a precarious position. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, earlier witnessed by the citizens of China alone, has now become a matter of grave concern for virtually every country in the world. The scarcity of resources to endure the COVID-19 outbreak combined with the fear of overburdened healthcare systems has forced a majority of these countries into a state of partial or complete lockdown. The number of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases has been increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world, with reportedly more than 3 million confirmed cases as of 30 April 2020. Adding to these woes, numerous false reports, misinformation, and unsolicited fears in regards to coronavirus, are being circulated regularly since the outbreak of the COVID-19. In response to such acts, we draw on various reliable sources to present a detailed review of all the major aspects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the direct health implications associated with the outbreak of COVID-19, this study highlights its impact on the global economy. In drawing things to a close, we explore the use of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and 5G, among others, to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak.

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Robots Under COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Survey

As a result of the difficulties brought by COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns, many individuals and companies have turned to robots in order to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Compared with traditional human labor, robotic and autonomous systems have advantages such as an intrinsic immunity to the virus and an inability for human-robot-human spread of any disease-causing pathogens, though there are still many technical hurdles for the robotics industry to overcome. This survey comprehensively reviews over 200 reports covering robotic systems which have emerged or have been repurposed during the past several months, to provide insights to both academia and industry. In each chapter, we cover both the advantages and the challenges for each robot, finding that robotics systems are overall apt solutions for dealing with many of the problems brought on by COVID-19, including: diagnosis, screening, disinfection, surgery, telehealth, care, logistics, manufacturing and broader interpersonal problems unique to the lockdowns of the pandemic. By discussing the potential new robot capabilities and fields they applied to, we expect the robotics industry to take a leap forward due to this unexpected pandemic.

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Review of Sterilization Techniques for Medical and Personal Protective Equipment Contaminated With SARS-CoV-2

 

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic in March 2020. During these unprecedented times, there is an increased demand in medical and personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the supplies may take a long time to meet the global demand, reusing PPEs will help health care workers in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the safety and well-being of the medical first responders, PPE needs to be sterilized before reuse. In this review, we examine various sterilization techniques that can be used to sterilize PPEs and point out its limitations. The objective is to provide a foundation of knowledge incorporating different sterilization techniques that allow hospitals and clinics to pick the most suitable technique for sterilization of a particular PPE.

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