The coronavirus outbreak is no doubt showing that disruptive technology has its place in this new normal of social distancing and self-quarantining. In the medical field, especially, disruptive tech is making large waves and now data scientists at Yale University are creating algorithms that can map out a treatment program for those afflicted with the coronavirus.
“The team of experts from Yale, also known as the COVID-19 Treatment team, was led by infectious diseases physicians and has created a treatment plan for both severe and non-severe cases of the disease,” an Interesting Engineering report noted. “The algorithm includes a list of recommended medications, including why these should be used, mentioning their potential adverse side-effects, as well as other important information.”
Check out this tweet on the algorithm:
🆕UPDATED #COVID19 TREATMENT PROTOCOL⬇️
3/31/20 changes
🔸 Elimination of atazanavir from initial treatment choice
🔸 Further guidance on tocilizumab + corticosteroids addition
🔸 Delineation of available clinical trials#medtwitter📩DM for PDF, including meds & references. pic.twitter.com/ohJvN9wyV1
— Yale Internal Medicine (@YaleIMed) April 1, 2020
“We have representatives from many disciplines who worked on developing the treatment plan and who meet frequently to evaluate new developments,” said Charles Dela Cruz who is part of the Yale group. “We’ve worked with the doctors on the floor treating the patients to determine what other markers or clinical findings should be reviewed. We have a set protocol now to treat these patients and will continue to look at the data to see if the algorithm needs adjustment.”
From robotics in-patient wards treating those stricken by the coronavirus to machine learning technology that can help track the coronavirus to warn communities of an impending outbreak, disruptive technology abounds with opportunities.
US Coronavirus Cases data by YCharts
A Disruptive Healthcare Option
For exchange-traded fund (ETF) investors looking to capitalize on this profound increase in healthcare tech, one fund to consider is the Robo Global Healthcare Technology and Innovation ETF (HTEC). HTEC seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the ROBO Global Healthcare Technology and Innovation Index.
The fund will normally invest at least 80 percent of its total assets in securities of the index or in depositary receipts representing securities of the index. The index is designed to measure the performance of companies that have a portion of their business and revenue derived from the field of healthcare technology, and the potential to grow within this space through innovation and market adoption of such companies, products, and services.
For more market trends, visit ETF Trends.