IT: Saving lives in times of a pandemic

The #coronavirus pandemic has turned the decade-long economic expansion on its head. COVID-19 has caused business closures, pay cuts and increased numbers of unemployment. This means slammed household finances, as well as job insecurity and career doubt for everyone other than health workers and the unsung heroes in the IT department.

Now more than ever information sharing on COVID-19 is important, and what better way to ensure people have the information they need than through IT. The World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with support from UNICEF, have set in motion an initiative that will reach everyone in world, including those not connected to the Internet. This initiative only proves that IT is not only helping save lives, but also that technology is accessible to everyone.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is the first pandemic in human history where technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe. This has made it possible for health workers to utilise telematics to diagnose patients, and the public also turns to digital technologies to respond to and cope with the impact of the virus. Systems have been put in place to trace, monitor and record COVID-19 patients worldwide. This is the work of IT personnel and IT itself.

In 2019, IT was highlighted as one of the skills of the future by Forbes magazine. According to Forbes: “The fourth industrial revolution is fuelled by technological innovations such as artificial intelligence, big data, virtual reality, blockchains and more. This means that everyone will need a certain level of comfort around technology.” This has been proven true, as many companies opted to have staff work from home.

There is no doubt that the COVID pandemic has accelerated the need for collaboration across digital platforms. The ability to solve not only business problems, but the world at large's problems, is created by the bringing together of specialists. Industry influencers are now creating communities, and what better place to create a community than on a platform that allows you to speak to like-minded professionals in your industry? The knool platform is home to industry experts and professionals that are ready to share their knowledge. Become a registered member today on the exclusive knool community and start changing the world!