The main objective of the project is to collect data to help predict the evolution of the pandemic. The idea is to recognize the factors that generate a greater spread of infectious disease.
A group of 100 academics from the University of Salamanca and the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, in Spain, are working to develop an application that will flatten the curve of infections and deaths that the Covid-19 outbreak generated.
The main objective of the project is to collect data on the number of deaths and infected people to track the curve. Doing this, the researchers would help predict the evolution of the pandemic to combat the current health crisis and prevent new infections.
The proposal combines two new technologies that are getting relevance: Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This idea is currently under development. But the developers of this project need financing to end the development of the blockchain platform.
Juan Manuel Corchado and Javier Prieto, who are some of the developers of the project, commented that the objective of this initiative is to find the environmental, social, and even genetic factors that generate a greater spread of the infectious disease.
About the Platform
The researchers also work on the platform to allow the creation of digital identities to digitally certify citizens for their mobilization. As these improvements are made, and if the authorities observe an increase in the number of positive Covid-19 cases, the information would allow health authorities to make better decisions faster.
In this sense, the scientists explained how the platform would work: “We are using blockchain technology to guarantee that people comply with the mandates of social distancing. Blockchain will allow us to create digital identities and issue licenses for tasks like going to work or the supermarket. The licenses will include private keys to replace the paper certificates that the government issued to citizens”.
Currently, these 100 academics are looking for new data related to Covid-19. Their idea is to analyze this information and add more data to the monitoring model they are developing.
Until now, it is not so clear what type of blockchain the developers will use, but they would use the Deep Intelligence platform to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms and systems.
Other Initiatives to Fight Against Covid-19
In addition to this initiative of the scientists from Salamanca, last week, the multinational consulting services, PwC Spain, reported that it would implement a health passport.
The developers of this idea will register this kind of document on a blockchain platform so that the employees of different companies can return to their jobs whilst the pandemic alert remains.
Last week, The Catalan company Blocktac, which is specialized in digital certification, presented a similar proposal to the one of PwC Spain. Blocktac works to record on the blockchain platform the results of tests to diagnose the coronavirus.
Blocktac is developing an immunity passport on a blockchain. This tool will validate the tests that certify that a patient is healthy to return to work. In other words, this tool will allow applying selective confinement.
In early April, the Spanish blockchain consortium Alastria proposed to reform a royal decree to track citizens through their mobile devices and counter the spread of the coronavirus.
Spain is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, with 195,944 cases and 20,453 deaths. Due to this, Spain is also one of the countries that have most resorted to blockchain technology to help combat the virus. The fight continues.
By María Rodríguez
