The Public Health Blockchain Consortium has announced the release of a monitoring blockchain for the systematic, continual, and anonymous verification of communities and workplaces that are free from coronavirus COVID-19, and other high-risk viruses, bacteria and fungi, to assist them in staying free of potentially life-threatening diseases.
Ayon Hazra, CEO of Qlikchain, the administrator for the PHBC, said: “Unlike traditional infectious disease surveillance that focuses on infected persons, this is a system that monitors the movement of uninfected persons instead, with a view to restricting their return if they have passed through areas known to be infected.
“PHBC’s virus-free monitoring blockchain can automatically identify zones with and without validated incident reports by integrating real-time information from virus surveillance providers with artificial intelligence (AI) geographical information systems (GIS). Those areas without validated reports of contamination are elevated to safe zone status. Communities and workplaces can maintain such safe zone status if they restrict access to anonymously identified persons and only allow movement to and from other safe zones. This method enables communities and workplaces to effectively protect uninfected persons.”
The blockchain stores a workplace’s or community’s protection certificate from security organisations or government bodies to assure that all persons who enter a safe zone are continuously monitored. Those who have previously entered an infected area are required to remain in a quarantine zone before they are permitted into a safe zone. Communities can also provide isolated places of residence to incoming visitors, who are anonymously monitored for a specified period of time. If these visitors do not develop any symptoms, they may join the general community. For example, secure residential resorts may require new residents to spend time in guest accommodations before they are allowed access to resort facilities for long-term residents.
The PHBC virus-free monitoring blockchain was first introduced to public health officials at the PHBC conference in Geneva on February 10, 2020. The one-year impact on participating communities and workplaces will be presented one day after the Executive Board Meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) at PHBC’s 2021 conference.
HR managers, senior housing representatives and healthcare providers as well as community, business and government representatives are invited to join PHBC’s workgroup for the monitoring and protection of high priority zones which they must effectively maintain virus-free for security or economic reasons.
This is not the only way this new infection is being tackled as in the United Kingdom scientists at Public Health England (PHE) are supporting the scientific community as it traces the source of the virus, how it has developed and interventions to help treat it.
The UK was one of the first countries outside China to have an assured testing capability for the novel coronavirus. PHE has since rapidly developed further specific tests in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and a global network of laboratories.
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