Preventing epidemics and outbreaks with the help of the Internet

The spread of epidemics can be slowed down, if not prevented, by a strategic use of the Internet and social media, and tech giant Google is leading the charge in cyberspace. Before surfing the Internet was commonplace, countries and communities got their warnings and other related information through the traditional mainstream media like newspapers, TV and radio. Sometimes, it would take a couple of days before the reports would be confirmed by official channels or supported publicly by governments.

However, the rapid spread of sizable amounts of data through the Internet today makes those efforts slow in comparison. Connectivity is also fast becoming constant, given recent innovations like Wi-Fi in airport terminals, coverage extension into former dead zones, and network extenders that boost weak phone signals into a maximum five bars, like 5BARz International’s product.

The availability of technology today is one reason why millions of computer and smartphone users were shocked to realise how they had been caught unprepared by the dramatic and alarming spread of the Zika virus. However, the Internet world has been catching up; since the World Health Organisation officially declared Zika a public health emergency, Google reports that searches on the subject have zoomed by 3,000 percent.

To curb the spread of any epidemic, two kinds of audiences must be reached: the population in general who can be afflicted by the illness and become patients; and the organisations crucial in carrying out the treatment and other preventive measures, delivering medicines, building the infrastructure that can contain the outbreak such as hospitals, and organise all the activities and data entering in and out.

In the Internet age, words are not enough, and visuals through video clips, info-graphics, and photos can become more powerful in making the people see the urgency of the situation. Google recently upgraded its search findings data with more than 900 health-related conditions. Its health advisories including symptoms and treatments have also been translated in 16 languages. On the visual front, YouTube is partnering with directors to create Zika-related content on their channels.

Stephen Morse of the Pacific Standard laments that the Internet had not been maximised to prevent the initial outbreak of Zika; however, moving forward, he advocates surveillance as a preventive measure to alert people to illnesses that can gain dangerous traction. Health organisations, in particular, can monitor unusual health conditions while it is still at a small or slow rate. If the growth becomes steady and seemingly unstoppable, then mutual consultation and a comparison of notes leading to a strategic approach is called for.

The Express Tribune reports that Pakistan already has one working model. Its Integrated Disease Surveillance System is designed precisely to spot common illnesses from developing into a mass outbreak. Statistics and other data are accessed through the Internet, including social media. Health professionals screen and verify each other’s findings to analyse the data. If there is a danger of an outbreak, alerts with recommendations on preventive measures are emailed to the endangered communities.

Another model that can be adopted is the approach of Canadian researchers towards social media. According to CBC News , 76 research teams across the country received a total of $48 million (AUD$64.3 million) to study how depression and other mental conditions can be spotted through Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, medical forum data, and YouTube clips or comments. Algorithms are then applied to check the prevailing emotional conditions that are being expressed and how collectively it can indicate the most prevalent mental health condition that the public is exposed to at that moment in time.

If applied to physical health conditions, a similar study can track down conversations, posts, and Tweets that discuss or mention the beginning spread of an illness in certain regions.

Morse says that the time to convert the Internet into an epidemic-containing tool is now. He says, “ Many of the components of a strong global public health system already exist, but need to be made into a cohesive system and sustained. We have better tools than ever, including rapid worldwide communications, and new diagnostic and preventive technologies.”