A Cross-Disciplinary View of Testing and Bioinformatic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Human Respiratory Viruses in Pandemic Settings

Abstract

The SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectious disease, COVID-19, has spread rapidly, resulting in a global pandemic with significant mortality. The combination of early diagnosis via rapid screening, contact tracing, social distancing and quarantine has helped to control the pandemic. The absence of real time response and diagnosis is a crucial technology shortfall and is a key reason why current contact tracing methods are inadequate to control spread. In contrast, current information technology combined with a new generation of near-real time tests offers consumer-engaged smartphone-based "lab-in-a-phone" internet-of-things (IoT) connected devices that provide increased pandemic monitoring. This review brings together key aspects required to create an entire global diagnostic ecosystem. Cross-disciplinary understanding and integration of both mechanisms and technologies for effective detection, incidence mapping and disease containment in near real-time is summarized. Available measures to monitor and/or sterilize surfaces, next-generation laboratory and smartphone-based diagnostic approaches can be brought together and networked for instant global monitoring that informs Public Health policy. Cloud-based analysis enabling real-time mapping will enable future pandemic control, drive the suppression and elimination of disease spread, saving millions of lives globally. A new paradigm is introducedscaled and multiple diagnostics for mapping and spreading of a pandemic rather than traditional accumulation of individual measurements. This can do away with the need for ultra-precise and ultra-accurate analysis by taking mass measurements that can relax tolerances and build resilience through networked analytics and informatics, the basis for novel swarm diagnostics. These include addressing ethical standards, local, national and international collaborative engagement, multidisciplinary and analytical measurements and standards, and data handling and storage protocols.

Towards a bionic IoT: Environmental monitoring using smartphone interrogated plant sensors

“…To enable this in the field, a smartphone is used as the image capturing and measurement tool for on-the-spot diagnostics, taking CA measurements out of the laboratory. Importantly, using a connected device such as a smartphone opens opportunities to later couple multiple devices in various locations-so-called swarm technologies such as those proposed for addressing pandemics [1]. Cloud analytics can simultaneously collect, integrate, and analyse the data to provide additional information and insight that can be sent back to multiple users.…”

“…Sensors are transforming the Internet from a passive to an active smart Internet-of-things (IoT) network system, or systems, with future global reach that have the capacity to transform society. For example, globally tracking pandemics in real-time [1] can transform health to quickly suppress outbreaks. As the full potential grows our understanding of the IoT, including the concept of smart cities, needs revaluation from the way consumers engage to how society functions [2].…”

Towards a bionic IoT: environmental monitoring using smartphone interrogated plant sensors

“…Sensors are transforming the internet from a passive to an active smart internet-of-things (IoT) network system, or systems, with future global reach that have the capacity to transform society. For example, globally tracking pandemics in real-time [1] can transform health to quickly suppress outbreaks. As the full potential grows our understanding of the IoT, including the concept of smart cities, needs revaluation from the way consumers engage to how society functions [2].…”