The battle between artificial intelligence and the COVID-19 pandemic

Harju, Anika (2022) The battle between artificial intelligence and the COVID-19 pandemic. Masters dissertation, University of Cumbria. Item availability may be restricted.

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Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus traveled quickly from China to every continent, making it impossible for any region of the world to remain immune. Healthcare professionals, governments, and state authorities struggled to contain the spread of COVID-19 and relied on scientific experts, tech giants, and pharmaceutical firms to utilize technology to combat the deadly virus. Medical experts understood the necessity of early detection and appropriate treatment for infected patients to curb the COVID-19 virus. As a result, Artificial Intelligence (AI) became a crucial component of the detection and diagnostic tools and vaccine/drug development employed in the COVID-19 battle. Concerns about the accuracy and sensitivity of AI-based diagnostic methods, the capacity of vaccines to protect against COVID-19 variants, and the drugs used to treat infected patients are still relevant today. Against this backdrop, this study examined the role of AI in the COVID-19 pandemic in the areas of detection, diagnostics, and vaccine/drug development. Peer-reviewed journals and academic books served as the study's main secondary sources, while primary data came from interviews with health and scientific experts. This study employed the analytical research method to evaluate how AI-based models accelerated COVID-19 detection, diagnosis, and vaccine/drug development techniques saving time and resources. A significant focus of this study was the crucial role that Big Data, Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL) played in developing AI-based models to combat the deadly COVID-19 virus. Also considered were the limitations of the COVID-19 AI-based models developed to hasten the vaccine and drugs and enhance precise detection and diagnosis. Despite the deficiencies with some AI-based methods used in the COVID-19 battle, it is undeniable that advanced technology assisted in saving lives and prevented hospitals from collapsing.

Item Type:	Thesis/Dissertation (Masters)
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Business
Additional Information:	Master's Dissertation, MSc Computer Science and International Business, University of Cumbria, UK, July 2022, word count 16,051.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2023 12:06
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 13:45
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/6860