The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has nearly had an impact on every industry as businesses and organizations are either having to momentarily shut down, rethink overall strategy, or move operations entirely remotely. The fact of the matter is everyone’s having to make some sort of adjustment one way or another, including the medical field.
As there are nearly 570,000 cases worldwide and still surging, there is an immense pressure on health professionals to deliver first-rate medical care and ultimately save lives. Though it is always their intention to provide the best service possible, just like in anything else, there are always obstacles that may challenge the core objective. Which in this case is to defeat COVID-19 and get back on track with life.
Lack..
A primary issue that the medical field is facing is lack of resources. As the pandemic continues to escalate, health facilities are lacking professional staff, necessary medical supplies, hospital beds, and detection test-kits. They also face the challenge of avoiding contracting the virus themselves while caring for an abounding number of sick patients. Thousands of healthcare workers across the world have already contracted the virus, including 40 dead in Italy. China, a country that has taken one of the hardest hits throughout this pandemic, has been implementing a solution that can solve this problem for the healthcare sector.
Video Diagnosis
With the ongoing process of the 5G deployment, technology and telemedicine can be more efficiently integrated through broadband speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G. This allows for higher video streaming resolution which can allow remote health professionals to attend to patients digitally. Not only does this successfully diagnose disease but it tackles the burden of more sick patients roaming through crowded facilities. These practices helped health officials in Wuhan tackle a higher patient to staff ratio during the peak of Covid-19’s impact.
Robotics
Even prior to the coronavirus outbreak, telemedicine and the use of robotics has been escalating tremendously. Expert surgeons in other parts of the world have been able to perform complex surgeries on people, as if it were done by a practitioner physically present. Robotics has been playing a key role in better containing the virus when applied. Many hospitals that already incorporate 5G technology throughout the globe have been using robots to limit overall human interaction.
One way robots are being utilized, in the war against Corona, is by monitoring civilians in public areas. 5G powered medium-sized robots are being used to patrol around populated spaces detecting peoples body temperature and to also make sure everyone is wearing a protective mask. If the smart machine detects a high temperature or someone not wearing a mask, it will ring nearby authorities. Robots are also being used to deliver drugs, disinfect hospitals and public areas, inform the public, and much more. Healthcare professionals are very grateful for this technology because it ultimately protects their livelihood as well.
As a vast majority of places around the world urge its communities to stay indoors, many people are most likely resorting to technology to accommodate their daily necessities, whether it’s for work, receiving news, communications, or just pure entertainment. The fifth generation of telecommunications can ultimately enhance the way people fulfill any of these needs, including their health. With the application of 5G technology’s proven capability to save lives during the Coronavirus pandemic, the general public will soon come to realize the impact technology can have on medicine and be anticipating what the future has in store.