Vietnamese scientists develop COVID-19 early warning system
An early warning system for COVID-19 has been launched by the Institute of Prevention Medicine and Public Health (IPMPH) at the Hanoi University of Medicine.
The global early warning system on COVID-19 is available at //covid19global.net. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) -An early warning system for COVID-19 has been launched by the Institute ofPrevention Medicine and Public Health (IPMPH) at the Hanoi University ofMedicine.
Introduced yesterday, the system provides analyses on the disease threats andcountries’ response abilities at //covid19global.net.
Tran Xuan Bach, project leader, said the system was based on research resultsissued by an international network of experts on epidemiology and diseasecontrol as well as updated data released by reputable databases.
Besides counting infections, deaths and recoveries, it uses artificialintelligence to analyse and evaluate threats which may lead to outbreaks in differentareas of the world in accordance with characteristics of the novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2), collective behaviour and ecological factors.
“There are many factors, such as the number of people currently confirmed ineach area, the level of interaction and mobility, population density, weather,responsiveness and disease control capacity in each country,” said Bach.
Input data allows the system to quantify the risks and speed of diseasetransmission. For example, it forecasts that risks outside China will outnumberthose from mainland China.
Bach said research results were a dependable source of information forpolicymakers to discuss and closely collaborate with the group to come up withthe most optimal control strategies.
Head of IPMPH Le Thi Huong expressed her hopes of the system as an innovativeapproach to fighting COVID-19.
According to the system, new infections may appear in Vietnam in March with thecities of Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM and Nha Trang among the most vulnerable areas.The chances have been rated at 21 percent, including 13 percent caused by risksfrom outside China.
Bach said response plans had to be developed for different locations, payingattention to local human resources, facilities and promoting civic engagement.
The institute is encouraging people to update the site.
From 59 cases reported in China in December 2019, the number of confirmedCOVID-19 cases has jumped to nearly 91,000, causing over 3,100 deaths in morethan 60 countries and territories.
The global early warning system can be tracked online with a system developedby the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns HopkinsUniversity at //gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/85320e2ea5424dfaaa75ae62e5c06e61 and //www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/./.
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The global early warning system on COVID-19 is available at //covid19global.net. (Photo: VNA) 
