How high-tech is helping China battle against Coronavirus?

Home to high-tech giants, BATX (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi), and one third of the world's unicorns, China is now a global leader in sectors such as AI, robotics, big data or even facial recognition. Amid the battle against Coronavirus, China can count on the latest technological innovations of Alibaba, Tencent or tech startups. Chinese tech savvy have showcased their originality and imagination. Drones are used to take temperature or communicate to the residents and robots are used to deliver groceries and food. Mobile applications can also be used to analyze the contamination risk in specific areas or even to identify people with Coronavirus.

 Multitasking drones

Drones are playing a crucial role in preventing Coronavirus from spreading in China. Their ability to perform different tasks where people cannot reach makes them an essential tool in this battle.

Large drones are used to perform tasks such as spraying disinfectant on villages, scattering public gatherings or supporting the construction works. (The drones were used to lit up the extensive hospital construction sites in Wuhan)

As for small drones, they have been equipped with loudspeakers and used to disperse small public gatherings but also to scold those who don’t wear masks in public. These drones are also looking for people who have not complied with quarantine rules.

 Alipay’s and WeChat Pay’s big data to detect infection risks 

The Chinese officials have announced that they have tracked since January 2020 both offline and online purchases of fever and cough medicine. An investigation is conducted on individuals who bought those medicine. It is said that these data have been collected through Alipay and WeChat Pay.

In addition, in February, the Chinese government sought help from Alibaba in order to create an integrated tracking system dedicated to track infected patients. 

Alipay has released a feature that assigns a colored QR code to each person based on their health status.

The code’s color determines the degree of contact that users are allowed to have with the public. Users with a red code are asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days and provide regular updates on their health via DingTalk, a chat app. Users with a yellow code are asked to remain in quarantine for 7 days, while users with a green code are allowed to travel freely.

This color-based QR code system is often used at checkpoints such as trains or airports. However, users may be asked to present their QR codes in the least expected places, such as before entering a supermarket or even their own residence complex. 

WeChat has also introduced a similar QR code tracking feature.  This system is now used at national scale in 200 cities.

APP to book masks and avoid risk zones  

Other APPs aiming to manage and facilitate the daily lives of Chinese have emerged in the last months. As shown in the photo below, the WAYZ app provides users with the real time information about the risk of infection based on geolocations.

Red circles indicate areas that have been frequented by people who may be infected with Coronavirus. Users of this app should avoid frequenting these locations.

In addition, in order to avoid wasting time and multiple unnecessary trips that can increase the risk of contagion. The app has a feature that provides users with real time data on which stores still have protective masks with the possibility to book them online.

 Robots are taking care of patients in Chinese hospitals

A robot taking temperature, identifying and disinfecting people at Shenyang hospital

The hospital is considered one of the most infectious places. The risk of being contaminated is undoubtedly high in such environment. According to a study published in “The Journal of the Medical Association”, out of 138 patients, it was presumed that 57 were infected at Zhongnan Hospital (Wuhan), including 29% of health care workers. This highlights the difficulty of staying safe while treating patients. 

With shortage of doctors and health workers, it has become even more important to protect them from Coronavirus infection.

Instead of putting hospital staff in the front line to interact directly with people suspected of being infected with the virus, a number of tasks such as delivering food and medicine as well as rooms disinfection were delegated to robots. The use of robots minimizes the exposure of medical personnel to infected patients, thus reducing the risk of infection.

Once the Coronavirus outbreak is over, some of these technologies will remain in our daily lives. The know-how and algorithms developed during this period of crisis can be reused for other causes. In any case, this is an unexpected opportunity for Chinese tech companies to demonstrate  their capabilities to the world.