The current pandemic has forever altered the way every human being on this planet lives. There isn’t one dynamic of our lives that hasn’t been touched by COVID, leading us to make necessary adjustments constantly regardless of how minor or major. 

Perhaps the two most significant areas that COVID has affected are the financial sector and the medical industry. Walking into a hospital or doctor’s office will never be the same, with new rules and restrictions in place to protect us and others from the virus and other illnesses.  We have all had to cope with accepting the new normal in order to receive the same standard of treatment we’ve been used to for so many years. 

In situations of adversity, sometimes we need to look at the positive changes that have been manifested as a result of our struggles. One major change has been the availability of remote doctors on call for extended hours at discounted rates. Callon Doc healthcare network is one of the top-rated remote providers in the industry. You can find their review by following the link. top10.com/online-doctors/reviews/callondoc These remote physicians have made it possible for patients to be diagnosed with many conditions.  Doctors are also able to write new prescriptions, as well as call in refills for existing medications. 

This is only a fraction of the breakthroughs and innovations that have arisen due to the pandemic. In the article ahead, we’ll examine some of these breakthroughs and how they have benefited the modern-day patient and healthcare industry as a whole.

Medical Supply Deliver Breakthroughs

There have been efficient breakthroughs in the way we deliver and receive medical supplies. Zipline specializes in delivering medical supplies to remote areas partnered with Novant Health to create a drone that drops off COVID supplies.

The company was the first to receive FAA emergency clearance for drone deliveries. These drones can travel at speeds of up to 80 mph and stand up to the wind and rain. The company hopes this is the first of many drones to assist in the medical supply chain. 

Cloud-Based Monitoring

There have been multiple programs created that assist physicians in monitoring COVID patients remotely with data uploaded to the cloud. This eliminates the need for a nurse to log information and allows physicians to monitor changes in real-time. 

ResMed CPAP Monitoring

Ventilation manufacturer ResMed created software known as AirView, which uses chips in ventilators and CPAP machines that send data to healthcare workers through the cloud. This data serves to assist COVID patients more efficiently as healthcare workers are able to triage and make much-needed adjustments to these breathing machines remotely. 

This technology allows high-risk COVID patients, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/world/who-regeneron-antibody-treatment.html, to safely remain on a ventilator from home while still being monitored and tracked for progress. The data gathered is all uploaded to a single dashboard that allows healthcare workers to track all of their patients from one central location, making the software very user-friendly.

Remote COVID Detection

A program called Docdot allows doctors to monitor patients with COVID-like symptoms. The program tracks their vitals and allows them to make a diagnosis based on pinpoint accuracy algorithms. The technology used to make the main diagnosis is mind-blowing. 

The app uses light-signal processing to convert light reflected from inside blood vessels in the face to give a vital sign measurement. In less than 45 seconds, this app can generate a COVID diagnosis with an accuracy of 98%.

The data collected is also stored and measured to give physicians a look at hotspots and numbers of cases in certain regions. This gives healthcare workers a chance to map high-risk areas and make predictions for what areas’ chances for spreading are rising and falling. 

Remote Stethoscope Imaging

Another program using remote technology involves a patient using a stethoscope that allows healthcare workers to listen to their heart and also transmits an image of their lungs. Doctors remotely walk patients through the process, allowing them to triage patients on a remote basis with no physical contact. 

Low-Cost Ventilators

The pandemic also gave military scientists the opportunity to develop a low-cost ventilator to meet the demand for these machines at hospitals across the country. These ventilators were drawn up, manufactured, and shipped out in a matter of two weeks and cost less than $500 to make. 

More Amazing Breakthroughs

There have been other examples of amazing technology and breakthroughs in medical science as a result of COVID. Listed below are just a fraction of these new procedures and applications. 

  • Hospitals have begun using virtual reality to train nurses and doctors in crisis-response situations. These VR programs give healthcare workers a chance to experience a lifelike setting, allowing them to better prepare for the real deal. 
  • AI software companies developed software that allows manufacturers to print 3D test swabs to use on individuals seeking to confirm or deny the existence of COVID in their systems. 
  • Hospitals used programs that de-identified patient records. This gives them a temporary clean slate to link new vital statistics and situations to map out potential scenarios for the disease. 
  • New software technologies enabled improved patient data storage. For instance, Novarad’s cardiology PACS system provides powerful imaging and diagnostic features that allow Radiology and Cardiology viewing from the same workstation.

COVID is still making its way through every major city in town across the globe, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With more people choosing to get vaccinated and continuing advances in medicine and science, we have a real chance at being able to fully reopen publicly and normalize our lives as much as possible.