AI has become an indispensable tool in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In several ways, big data and AI are crucial in the fight against the outbreak and its subsequent containment. The current battle against the epidemic has witnessed a profound integration of transportation, medical care, education, and other domains through advanced information technology such as big data and AI. 

AI and COVID-19

Using AI, big data, and other emerging technologies has significantly enhanced working methodologies, work efficiency, and effectiveness in this context. It has become the preferred option for numerous government agencies to advance towards a smart city. Consequently, as scientific technologies become more widely used, it is unavoidable that there will be an increasing demand for improved emergency mobilization from the government, grassroots communities, and civil society. Additionally, there are prerequisites for enhancing the capacity of social government.

Since the start of the epidemic, AI has been quietly helping with the enormous task of comprehending and tracking the spread of COVID-19 despite the limitations of human expertise. Various data science, machine learning, and big data projects powered by AI are currently being utilized in multiple domains to forecast, elucidate, and oversee the different outcomes stemming from the health problem. AI is finding its way into healthcare, helping curb the development of COVID-19 by identifying early signs. Algorithms that analyze data to find meaningful patterns are also used in patient tracking, screening, and infection prediction.

Diagnosis

Machine learning is the critical component that allows AI to recognize these patterns. For instance, it might be feasible to forecast the COVID-19 mortality rate in men aged 60 and up in a specific nation.

Likewise, the Healthcare industry can improve patient experiences through improved diagnosis, personalized medical care, and follow-up plans made possible by this technology's algorithms. Molecular (e.g., drug and vaccine discovery), patient (e.g., patient diagnosis), and population (e.g., epidemiological surveillance) levels of COVID-19 prevention are all being propelled by AI.

AI-based Vaccine Discoveries and Predictions

Vaccines against the coronavirus have been developed using several AI-based methods since the virus first emerged. One area that has been driving the search for vaccination against COVID-19 is natural language processing models, particularly language modelling techniques. 

There are three main ways in which AI was used in COVID-19: 

• binary diagnosis (the presence or absence of COVID-19), 
• the investigation of lung abnormalities and 
• the differentiation of COVID-19 pneumonia from those caused by other viruses. 

AI systems can foretell whether a patient will suffer acute respiratory distress syndrome, whether they will require incubation or oxygen therapy, and much more. Healthcare teams can use AI systems to integrate imaging and clinical data, assess serial imaging data, personalize steroid therapies for patients, and determine if treatments are generalizable to multinational patient populations. Furthermore, machine learning models evaluate radiology pictures to forecast the necessity of intensive care unit admissions using natural-language tools to assess clinical reports.

Conclusion

AI can assist governments in formulating targeted intervention programs. AI models can accurately predict the extent and geographical distribution of disease outbreaks. In addition, some countries are expected to exceed their maximum capacities, raising significant concerns about whether the current healthcare system can adequately cope with the pandemic. Furthermore, AI and big data analysis can be utilized to establish a robust foundation for real-time monitoring, coordination of medical material stockpiles, provision of civilian supplies, and formulation of traffic control regulations.