WHO, Microsoft Collaborating with Governments to Improve COVID-19 Analytics Using Blockchain

A series of tech companies including Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle are collaborating with the EU and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization (WHO) and others to develop a robust blockchain solution for COVID-19.

The project meant to improve the way COVID-19 data is collected, analyzed and disbursed is being built on the Hyperledger blockchain system.

The initiative’s aim is to develop a platform that can be easily deployed to collect quality data from around the globe and use it to fight COVID-19. The platform’s data would be shared among the major players in the Health industry, Government authorities and the World Health Organization. The project’s lead believes that the blockchain platform would ensure timely and more accurate dissemination of data.

Currently, Coronavirus cases are arising in many countries, with some governments hiding actual figures. This misinformation and lack of trust in data being disseminated could water down small advancements being made by governments and international organizations to fight COVI-19. For this reason, IBM is trying to leverage blockchain to come up with a better solution to improved COVID-19 data collection and sharing. 

The biggest mining company in the US, CoreWeave, has previously donated all computers they have used for mining to coronavirus research in order to get improved data and analytics. Computers were granted to Stanford University’s initiative to combine the computing power of available resources to combine the existing drugs to find the possible cure. 

Innovative technologies can help eliminate COVID-19

Meanwhile, there are already other attempts to deploy blockchain to help fight the continuously raging COVID-19 pandemic. Recently the Ministry of Community Development in the United Arabs Emirates deployed Blockchain and Digital ID to screen different coronavirus cases and share the information among other government agencies.

The cryptocurrency community is actively participating in the battle against the virus. The majority of the industry’s events has been cancelled, the workers of blockchain and cryptocurrency firms started working from their homes during the quarantine. As coinidol.com, a world blockchain news outlet has reported, event organizers are turning to the means of virtual reality to improve the security of people and halt the pandemic spread.

Other Blockchain and cryptocurrency-related measures are also proposed in the United States which has become the new epicentre of the Coronavirus pandemic. US lawmakers want the government to adopt a digital wallet system where relief funds would be deposited to American citizens to keep them liquid during the economic meltdown effect of COVID-19.