In a world upside down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of location data has never been this critical. Governments and the private sector are increasingly relying on data-driven technologies to understand the pandemic from a spatio-temporal perspective. Why?
Because vital information such as location data, foot traffic data, social distancing metrics, etc. massively help in the development of ground breaking research and policy making. In addition to creating new policies and protocols, these concrete, data-driven insights help to control and mitigate the adverse impacts of the unpredictable pandemic.
With the spike in Coronavirus disease, clear and actionable insights from the location data is important which can pinpoint hotspots, allocate resources, and measure the effectiveness of lockdowns. Let’s take a look at how location data is becoming a ray of hope in the current gloomy world.
Tracking healthcare supplies
The power of POI data is that it can save a life. Yes, you read that right. Imagine a patient with an immediate requirement of oxygen is able to find out the nearest hospital in its area. The potential of location data assists people suffering from this zoonotic illness to locate the nearest hospital, pharmacy, ATMs, essential stores, etc. for immediate needs.
With accurate and quality POI data, health care centers and hospitals can analyze the volume of patients in a specific region and effectively plan treatments and allocate scarce resources such as beds, supplies, medical equipment, oxygen cylinders, masks, PPE kits etc. in identified regions. Planning and monitoring stock at distribution points (pharmacies, health centers, hospitals) is fundamental in order to ensure fair distribution & consistent access for the public.
The location data can further help the POI healthcare centers to open mini-centers in regions based on the predicted traffic in that area, drive campaigns area-wise, and save the lives of many. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) use location data to predict the neighborhood where the next Covid-19 spike will be, and assess the efficacy of mitigation efforts like social distancing.
Hospitals and healthcare centers struggle due overcapacity, understaffing, and information deficits. In such cases, utilizing location data to detect, respond to, and prevent disease outbreaks is crucial in the current need of the hour.
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