The novel coronavirus disease continues to grapple the world with its ruthless claws. With 785,807 positive cases and over 37,820 deaths worldwide, it is one of the most terrible pandemics the world has ever faced. The cases continue to multiply every day and swathes of people arrive daily for the COVID-19 screening. As a result, it is becoming more difficult to carry out mass testing as swab tests are in short supply.
Scientists develop COVID-Net
Scientists have released an AI-based software, COVID-Net, that can help in infection detection from chest x-rays. For this development, the scientists compiled data from public sources of over 6000 radiography images from almost 3000 people. Furthermore, AI identifies similar abnormalities associated with the lungs. Therefore, this analysis may enable medical practitioners to detect COVID-19 at a faster rate.
A tool for accelerating the screening process
Even if COVID-Net could not be a replacement for the swab test, it can certainly accelerate the process. That is, it can augment the process. This toll will also promote for large usage of radiography-based applications for enhanced results. Scientists are also in the process of making a COVID-Net explainer tool for showing how it comes to a conclusion.
Similar applications were created earlier, but this time the open-source nature of the software could make it more appealing for its use. Even though the application is not ready for widespread use and not intended for the direct diagnosis, it definitely acts as a catalyst for COVID-19 case detections.
In this highly critical situation, AI is a boon for the medical field if used properly. Moreover, AI cannot purely diagnose COVID-19, but it can help for additional data creation. Therefore, this can influence treatment choices and promise better analysis and speedy recovery of the infected patient.