We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





Computational Algorithms Could Transform COVID-19 Diagnosis and Care, Finds Study

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 Jan 2022
Print article
Illustration
Illustration

Researchers testing the effectiveness of algorithms in diagnosing COVID-19 have found that they can help to stem the spread of the disease by enabling early identification of new cases.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Eswatini (Kwaluseni, Eswatini) found that computational algorithms could transform COVID-19 diagnosis and care for low-income countries.

With the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, and infections continuing to rise, effective diagnostic software systems are urgently required to support the increasingly overstretched virus testing services. In addition, these software systems can help to stem the spread of COVID-19 by enabling early identification of new cases. This can be particularly important in low-income countries where medical personnel and facilities are limited.

Computational algorithms can also play a valuable role in identifying cases that traditional clinical diagnosis methods may miss; for example, infections in people with certain underlying diseases. While artificial intelligence models are already available to support diagnosis of COVID-19, most are used in interpreting X-ray image data; and are not always effective in early-stage diagnosis, when the patient’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems may show few signs of the virus.

In the study, the researchers tested the ability of seven computational algorithms to diagnose COVID-19 at an early stage, based on the following common symptoms: fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; and diarrhea. The researchers found that the algorithms Multilayer Perceptron, Fuzzy Cognitive Map and Deep Neural Network outperformed Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree and Support Vector Machine. The researchers believe that these findings could guide future software development.

“This information could be adopted to develop intelligence-based software that both medical personnel and patients can use for early diagnosis of COVID-19 when these symptoms are present. At the time we were conducting this research, we could not find any other studies that had applied any of the listed intelligent techniques for COVID-19 diagnosis using these common symptoms,” said Boluwaji A. Akinnuwesi, an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at University of Eswatini. “Using these algorithms is a better option than exposing patients to X-rays, which, in addition, are not always easily accessible. The three best performing algorithms have the potential to be developed into widely-available software, increasing access to quick and affordable diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, which is particularly important for low-income countries, like Africa.”

Related Links:
University of Eswatini

Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
EMG/NCV Testing Unit
Cadwell EMG/NCV/EP Sierra Summit Device

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed an advanced shear-thinning hydrogel for aneurysm repair (Photo courtesy of TIBI)

New Hydrogel Features Enhanced Capabilities for Treating Aneurysms and Halting Progression

Aneurysms can develop in blood vessels in different body areas, often as a result of atherosclerosis, infections, inflammatory diseases, and other risk factors. These conditions lead to chronic inflammation,... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The living replacement knee will be tested in clinical trials within five years (Photo courtesy of ARPA-H)

Living Knee Replacement to Revolutionize Osteoarthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis, characterized by the progressive deterioration of cartilage, or the protective tissue covering the bone ends, resulting in pain, stiffness, and impaired... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.