As the panic continues to spread worldwide and the COVID-19 continues to infect more and more people, the first measures to contain the virus are beginning to be seen: frozen businesses, blocked transport, closed kindergartens, schools and high schools or canceled events are some of the examples. Every country is responding to virus propagation by taking the measures it considers appropriate and trying to break the virus spread inside and outside their frontiers. Over the next few weeks, the progress of the virus’s expansion must be closely watched by governments and they have to check if the measures that are being taken are enough but, for now, the virus spread is inevitable. More and more infected persons are detected and new countries are being added to the list of the already affected. If you want more detailed insights into the COVID-19 status, you can check up the last information on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control website. Due to the global situation we’re in, I would like to analyze how Big Data and Artificial Intelligence can help, not only in this specific case of the COVID-19 but with a broader perspective in all disease control situations.
Both the movement of people that occurs within a country and between borders is increasing every day. Working needs, cheaper transportation, and tourism itself promote the continuous flow of people. This, added to the high density of some countries, such as China, generates an environment where it is very easy for a virus that is transmitted through the air to spread. Due to this continuous flow of people and the moment of globalization in which we are, it is not possible to delimit this environment within our borders, but an approach must be made with a global perspective: we have a global pandemic.