Predicting pandemics with early warning system

A recently announced early warning system designed by MedShr Insights may have the capability to predict pandemics.

The capability fetched the technology third place honor in the Trinity Challenge and a prize of $660,000.

The Trinity Challenge is a coalition of 42 organizations that uses big data and digital technologies to protect the world from future pandemics.

The early warning system, which arose out of the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, applies natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to recognize increases in postings on its platform about disease symptoms and medical terms in discussions of cases to predict possible disease outbreaks.

With the spread of the pandemic, MedShr recognized concomitant increases in the numbers of X-rays posted on the platform along with increasing discussions about fever, dry cough, and loss of sense of smell, which came the hallmarks of COVID-19.

Asif Qasim, MB BChir, PhD, is the founder of MedShr, and a cardiologist and National Health Service Clinical Director.

He explained that when using MedShr Insights, doctors can use their smartphones to share and discuss cases with colleagues worldwide.

This includes discussions, diagnostic problems, imaging, and laboratory results.

The platform boasts a community of 1.6 million members worldwide, which puts in in a good position to identify patterns and trends and novel and emerging health challenges in medical practices, which can help identify future global pandemics.