Data In The Fight Of Coronavirus Pandemic

Data is extensively used by businesses, social media and other organizations to understand users, readers and customers. Facebook used it to understand their users’ behavior on the platform. Instagram uses it to help businesses grow on their platform and do targeted marketing. But is it crazy to stop ourselves from believing that governments also use our data?

The government’s use of data has always been met with many speculations and questions on ethics. How would they use it? Is it for our good or is it to manipulate us? Or maybe the data is used to hold an authoritative regime and put us under surveillance? Maybe our privacy is at risk because of the government’s hold on our data. We are met with so many different questions, conspiracies, and speculations. But let’s face it. Governments extensively use our data for their benefit and our benefit as well. One such example is the case of the global pandemic. Many governments leveraged the power of big data, technology advances, and the deep web to fight the pandemic and beat coronavirus.

How did governments use data to fight the pandemic?

Tracing App For Monitoring 

Many countries implemented tracing apps. India, Qatar, South Korea and China were known for their contact tracing apps. These tracing apps monitored the movements of the public, quarantined status, the activities as a consumer, where they go and how much time people spend. All of these tracing apps were also used to do mass contact tracing and put an end to the massive spread of the coronavirus. Many raised the questions of security breachment as a result of these tracing apps. And many are calling for these to be immediately put on halt once the pandemic is over. 

Allocation Of Medical Supplies And Resources 

Data can be used to understand which parts of the country and cities are having major shortages of medical supplies, resources and doctors. Governments can put actionable measures in result of data analysis. They have used drone technology to deliver medical supplies to some islands. And in some parts of the world, technology was used to connect people with medical officers. 

Actionable Social Policies 

With the post pandemic looming over some parts of the world,  restrictions on social norms of people were also loosened. People were allowed to go out within curfew or shops were allowed to open all day. of course, guidelines were in place. Maximum capacity was studied and rules were made. Any breachment of these rules also can be understood using the help of data. It is important to conduct data backup and restore to measure progress and do predictions in future social policies. 

Informative Charts For The Public 

This was perhaps one of the biggest and most effective measures taken using data across the world. Informative charts and mass statistics were used to provide real time data and dashboards to the public. This was effective in keeping the guidelines and rules of the pandemic among the public as people understood the severity of the ongoing pandemic. 

The world has come a long way in terms of technology. Many questions regarding privacy and security loom our minds but data is absolutely necessary to effectively fight against the pandemic.