When the Coronavirus first emerged in China, many scientists were unaware of its name and what it could do to the community. This is probably the biggest pandemic most of us have seen in our lifetime. In this regard, it becomes important to understand such threats can even come in the future.
Artificial Intelligence – Powered Research To Predict Next SARS-Like Virus
For this reason, several international scientists are using artificial intelligence-aided programs to predict which will be the next big threat like Coronavirus. In this way, the health system across the world can be prepared with better vaccines to prevent further pandemics.
The research was done at Georgetown University, and it used artificial intelligence programs to analyze different viruses like SARS that can emerge in the future. Not only that but the source of such viruses was also analyzed so that they can be contained in the early stages in the event of a pandemic.
Along with that, the animals that host such viruses were also considered in the research. Remember that Coronavirus is assumed to have come from bats. It is already proved that bat species hold several such Coronaviruses even though most of them are not dangerous to humans.
Scientists from the research group say that it is important to understand the ecology of the hosts that carry these viruses to know more about future pandemics. In the same way, the overall evolution of such species along with their lifestyle is also studied in a detailed manner to predict the emergence of future SARS-like viruses.
For this research, the scientists used an artificial intelligence program as it can help predict where to look for when it comes to finding the next SARS that can spread rapidly like Covid-19. With the help of AI programs, complex data can be analyzed, and accurate predictions can be derived in the long run.
Globally, there is a lot of research done with regard to disease surveillance. Even after all these efforts, it is not an easy task to identify the exact source of threats that can infect humans in a big way. For this reason, several scientists have started using statistical models as they provide clear insights about which species to look for among the lot.
Yet another interesting aspect of using artificial intelligence is that it can handle tons of data with high accuracy and keep track of all the data in an effective manner. This is very important as the scientific community does not keep a clear track of the predictions made and the outcome of the predictions. In this regard, maintaining a track record of the success and failure of every prediction is important. When scientists keep in mind, the model used to predict an outcome and its result in the long run, it will be useful for future research projects.
Interestingly, there are over 400 species of bats worldwide that have potential threatening viruses, and scientists are still not aware of the exact source of Covid 19. Due to climatic change and other conditions, the species move from one location to another, and it is not easy to analyze which viruses they host.
Several scientists are looking at the covid pandemic as an opportunity to dive into further research in this category. In this way, future threats can be mitigated with less damage. When the scientific community is ready with the vaccines for several possible future threats like SARS, it will help the health system to bring the pandemic under control in a short duration of time. The artificial intelligence programs have helped scientists to narrow down their search to certain species of bats that carry beta Coronaviruses.
