Artificial Intelligence Models and Techniques Applied to COVID-19: A Review

Abstract

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the consequent global COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the public administrations of different countries to establish health procedures and protocols based on information generated through predictive techniques and models, which, in turn, are based on technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This article presents some AI tools and computational models used to collaborate in the control and detection of COVID-19 cases. In addition, the main features of the Epidempredict project regarding COVID-19 in Panama are presented. This initiative consists of the planning and design of a digital platform, with cloud-based technology, to manage the ingestion, analysis, visualization and exportation of data regarding the evolution of COVID-19 in Panama. The methodology for the design of predictive algorithms is based on a hybrid model that combines the dynamics associated with population data of an SIR model of differential equations and extrapolation with recurrent neural networks. The technological solution developed suggests that adjustments can be made to the rules implemented in the expert processes that are considered. Furthermore, the resulting information is displayed and explored through user-friendly dashboards, contributing to more meaningful decision-making processes.