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Government and other authorities have been using a combination of varied technologies to contain the spread of the virus. GIS mapping software has found a greater purpose in an emergency like the COVID-19 outbreak. Esri, a geographic information company, has been developed a unique dashboard that has been helping the government with timely and accurate location information.
By using this dashboard a lot of key information regarding recovered cases, confirmed cases, applications, datasets and more will be in the hands of the authorities so they can make informed decisions and well thought out strategies. Esri is already working with Government organisations like NDMA, NIC and other state departments to contain the virus.
To discuss the dashboard in detail, Express Computer’s Radhika Udas gets in conversation with the President of Esri- Agendra Kumar. He shares information regarding the dashboard and also throws light on the application of GIS during a pandemic and its future.
* Why is GIS application very crucial for this pandemic fight?
A spatial understanding is imperative for managing and controlling a pandemic such as corona virus disease (COVID-19). To device response strategies, agencies need answers to questions such as – where are the cases? how the disease is spreading? where are the vulnerable populations? Location provides a reference for common understanding of the situation and empowers everyone involved to make informed decisions, act and communicate.
Geographic Information System (GIS) provides the tools and a framework for the agencies to combine multiple layers of data with a common reference of location. Investigators use GIS to determine who an infected person has come in contact with. Epidemiologists use GIS for monitoring the spread of the virus through space and time to implement control, preventive, and surveillance measures. Policymakers are using GIS to evaluate available facilities and increase healthcare capacity.
Agencies are using mathematical modeling combined with spatial analytics capabilities in GIS to calculate and present COVID-19 forecasts. GIS is also helping explore implications of each forecast, answering location questions to guide response and recovery strategies. Agencies are...