Healthcare to Use Blockchain to Fight Covid-19 Pandemic in 2021

Scientists globally are now innovating new technologies and drugs that can help in the fight against Covid-19 virus. Now Blockchain and decentralized ledger technology (DLT) can be used to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Blockchain technology can provide civilization with a new model for health information exchanges (HIE) since it has the potential to make digital medical records very efficient, transparent and secure, which can help to stop the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide.

Blockchain can be used in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic

On January 27, 2021 the number of people who were infected with Coronavirus reached over 100,032,000 people worldwide. More than 2,149,818 deaths registered and this number continues to grow.

Blockchain is used in many things including contact tracing of Covid-19 patients, disaster relief and insurance – through approving smart contracts, loans and insurances processes, patient information sharing, immigration and emigration procedures, supply chain management, automated surveillance and contactless delivery, online education and secure certification, manufacturing management, document management in health sector, agriculture and food distribution, e-government, and many others.

Vaccination against Coronavirus is one of the main tools that can help the world to take control over the pandemic in 2021. Very soon, if the technology turns out to be more efficient, blockchain will be used by many governments and health organizations globally to make records on production, storage and delivery of vaccines against Covid-19 as well.

UK’s National Health Service to use DLT to fight Coronavirus pandemic

Covid-19 disease has so far killed more than 2,086,605 globally and the United Kingdom alone has lost over 93,290 people since the first case was confirmed on 31 January 2020. 

Healthcare institutions have started using blockchain technology to store and ship different drugs and medical equipment used to treat patients with Covid-19. For instance, the UK’s National Health Service’s (NHS) facilities have begun using DLT to fight Coronavirus pandemic by using it to monitor drugs and store vaccines meant for this disease. NHS facilities that are now using blockchain to fight Coronavirus and storing Covid-19 vaccines include health centers Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick.

According to the British government, over 4 million people have so far been vaccinated. Nevertheless, the use of blockchain to store Covid-19 vaccine will be widespread if massive immunization begins in the country.

Distributed ledger technology companies Everyware and Hedera are collaborating with NHS supply chains to distribute and deliver the Covid-19 vaccines in different parts of the world and this is the first ever project of this kind in the history of blockchain.

South Korea tracing Coronavirus contacts using Blockchain

Health facilities in Jeju Island, South Korea are also using Blockchain technology for contact tracing of Coronavirus patients and those people who came into contact with the confirmed patient. A blockchain-based platform called Jeju Safety Code (JSC) app was developed to track infected patients in this tourist Island.

Blockchain in a modern healthcare model

Blockchain technology has shown itself as a very powerful tool in our healthcare structures. Because DLT enhances security and accessibility, the tool can be effectively used in numerous various departments, the healthcare system, for example, for remote monitoring systems, keeping and sharing medical records of patients, and insurance data especially in mobile applications and in healthcare scenes, and for clinical trials.

Blockchain can be used to transform health care, by putting the patient at the center of the healthcare sector and helping to improve the security, efficiency, privacy, transparency and interoperability of health information.