Ten technologies to fight coronavirus |
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As the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic spreads, technological
applications and initiatives are multiplying in an attempt to control the
situation, treat patients in an effective way and facilitate the efforts of
overworked healthcare workers, while developing new, effective
vaccines. This analysis examines in detail how ten different
technological domains are helping the fight against this pandemic
disease by means of innovative applications. It also sheds light on the
main legal and regulatory challenges, but also on the key socio-ethical
dilemmas that the various uses of these technologies pose when
applied in a public-health emergency context such as the current one.
A scan of the technological horizon in the context of Covid-19 indicates
that technology in itself cannot replace or make up for other public
policy measures but that it does have an increasingly critical role to play
in emergency responses. Covid-19, as the first major epidemic of our
century, represents an excellent opportunity for policy-makers and
regulators to reflect on the legal plausibility, ethical soundness and
effectiveness of the deployment of emerging technologies under time
pressure. Striking the right balance will be crucial for maintaining the
public's trust in evidence-based public health interventions.
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