BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 12: A Chinese worker wears a protective mask as he has his temperature checked in a nearly empty and shuttered commercial street on February 12, 2020 in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 44000 in mainland China Wednesday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have put travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and municipalities in other parts of the country affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 1100 on Wednesday, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

How IoT is helping fight COVID-19 pandemic

The world is fighting against the pandemic caused by COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) and with no confirmed vaccine yet developed, various technological advancements are being used to better equip and fight against the coronavirus. Whether it is the screening of affected individuals or helping in managing the overflowed hospitals the use of technology has become a key factor.

Now IoT has been a buzzing topic in the tech industry with more and more companies trying to capitalize on its full potential and comprehensive applications. In the fight against COVID –19 IoT has been acting as a major tool in helping to limit the spread of the virus.

What exactly is IoT?

In simple terms, IoT is connecting of all kinds of physical objects to the internet so as to make them “smart”. These physical objects can be a lightbulb, a refrigerator or even the smart cities which only exist because of IoT. More specifically, IoT refers to any system of physical devices that receive and transfer data over wireless networks without human intervention.

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How IoT is helping in the fight against COVID-19

Body temperature sensors are applied directly to the patient’s body to provide continuous and real-time monitoring of any changes in body temperature. And gateways are being used to receive real-time patient data from the sensors and wirelessly transmit this data to a nurse’s station for continuous monitoring.

The goal is to prevent the spread of the virus and IoT is something which is helping in it too. Barry Po, president of mCloud Technologies, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) and asset management solutions has explained how air quality can help in fighting this problem.

“We have two goals in mind when we do this,” Po explained. “One is to keep the air clean by providing proper ventilation so CO2 and other air contaminants don’t accumulate. The other is to provide actionable information that enables HVAC systems in buildings to operate at maximum efficiency, ventilating with compressors and fans as they need to or activating fans only, or doing nothing at all once air cycling has occurred.”

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Either it is the concept of remote patient monitoring using wireless medical wearables or either it is about providing fresh air with no contaminants, IoT is providing new solutions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Body temperature sensors are applied directly to the patient’s body to provide continuous and real-time monitoring of any changes in body temperature. And gateways are being used to receive real-time patient data from the sensors and wirelessly transmit this data to a nurse’s station for continuous monitoring.

The goal is to prevent the spread of the virus and IoT is something which is helping in it too. Barry Po, president of mCloud Technologies, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) and asset management solutions has explained how air quality can help in fighting this problem.

“We have two goals in mind when we do this,” Po explained. “One is to keep the air clean by providing proper ventilation so CO2 and other air contaminants don’t accumulate. The other is to provide actionable information that enables HVAC systems in buildings to operate at maximum efficiency, ventilating with compressors and fans as they need to or activating fans only, or doing nothing at all once air cycling has occurred.”

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Either it is the concept of remote patient monitoring using wireless medical wearables or either it is about providing fresh air with no contaminants, IoT is providing new solutions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.