The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020 (source: Wikipedia). As of 24 March, the WHO reported that more than 381,653 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than 190 countries and territories, resulting in more than 16,558 deaths.
The virus is typically spread from one person to another via respiratory droplets produced during coughing. It primarily spreads when people are in close contact but may also spread when one touches a contaminated surface and then one’s face. It is most contagious when people are symptomatic, although spread may be possible before symptoms appear.
Affected countries and millions of its populations are undertaking different measures to combat the disease rabidly threatening the lives of humans on this earth. Efforts to prevent the virus spreading include travel restrictions, quarantines, curfews, event postponements and cancellations, and facility closures.
Digital Virtual Economy
The development of the digital economy has to be aggressively pushed to pave the way for the further expansion and institutionalization of virtual working environment . Aside from other socio-economic benefits, this will not only allow working mothers and fathers to earn while at home attending their children making them more economically productive, this also minimizes traffic congestion, significantly reduce physical office cost maintenance as well as lessen the chance of contamination in the event of covid-like health emergencies.
Lowering the volume of population working in a shop, factory or office will substantially minimize contamination leading to spread of disease that will have consequential effect to operational productivity. Adapting advance technologies in automation, artificial intelligence and remote sensing coupled with significant improvement in the internet more particularly in terms of speed and efficient reliable service in developing economies will be helpful in effectively addressing vital concerns of diseases and in improving people’s economic condition.
Remote diagnostics and treatment of highly contagious viral diseases will be undertaken with advanced medical and robotics technologies at lesser chance of contamination while attending and during the treatment of sick patients. Virtual meetings, conferences and conventions will generate significant savings not only in travel but also on cost of accommodations while reducing tremendous risks of exposing people in invisible disease causing substances, germs and viruses.
Decentralized Ledger Technology
Blockchain otherwise known as Decentralized Ledger Technology can address a lot of concerns that can facilitate identification, tracking and database management. With a decentralized national identification system linked on blockchain based geo-locator, every individual in a particular community, country or continent can be tracked instantly thereby knowing the movement of infected human in real time, thus facilitating appropriate measures to minimize contamination effectively addressing the disease that can lead to pandemic proportion in just few days.
The movement of vital products and important supplies and medicines will be tracked and expedited to reach where it is needed most, using mobile applications. The adoption of logistics and supply chain management system like that of VeChain, will play a vital role on this important mechanism. More and more decentralized applications and blockchain ecosystem and protocols can still be explored and developed that will be used in different areas of social, economic and service industries – as well as both in the government and private sectors.
Digital Money
For government authorities and non-believers of Bitcoin – the first use case of blockchain technology – and other cryptocurrency , the Corona Virus – Covid-19 – experience should make them seriously consider to rethink their position. Corona virus is transmitted through contacts of infected human and contaminated objects.
Considering that hard fiat cash whether in bills or coin is the most circulated item used as token for the transfer of value, there is a great chance that disease causing germs and viruses are transmitted through these contaminated monies and physical wallet.
In the purchasing transactions more particularly in groceries, public market and retail stores, virus can be transmitted through contaminated bills and coins, more particularly in less developed areas and rural communities where health facilities and equipment are lacking if not totally absent.
The use of cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin, altcoins and monetary tokens – with its digital wallets will reduce the chance of contamination through this channel.
Of course this will not totally eliminate spreading of the disease, but this will have significant impact in the long run as we could not possibly know what is going to happen in the future when far more worst pandemic than Covid-19 will occur.
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