Mutations of COVID-19 are continuing to plague the world. For medical scientists, getting the earliest possible look at when and how the virus changes is critical – it gives them a head start in developing the latest and strongest batch of vaccinations and medicines, and the most time to consider which health directives might need to be issued.
When speed and accuracy are vital, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) come to the fore. AI can analyse data with a pace and precision unmatched by humans. And it’s starting to help out in the fights against COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a trio of viral infections that can be fatal.
DNA analysis of viruses has long been used to uncover similarities between diseases, helping draw links that unlock greater knowledge about each one. COVID-19, SARS and MERS share very similar nucleotide sequences, making them prime candidates to cross-reference and study together. Effectively, they’re from the same family.
