Question

Cases of Covid-19 first emerged in December 2019, when a mysterious illness was reported in Wuhan, China. The cause of the disease was soon confirmed as a new kind of coronavirus, and the infection has spread to a number of countries around the world. The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, the start of which coincided with the emergence of COVID-19, is the most celebratory time of the year in China, during which a massive human migration takes place as individuals travel back to their hometowns. People in China are estimated to make close to 3 billion trips over the 40-day travel period, or Chunyun, of the Lunar New Year holiday. About 5 million people left Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province and epicentre of the COVID-19 epidemic, before the start of the travel ban on Jan 23, 2020. About a third of those individuals travelled to locations outside of Hubei province and these people were probably the main reason for the current global pandemic.

On 11 February the World Health Organization announced that the official name would be covid-19, a shortened version of coronavirus disease 2019. The WHO refers to the specific virus that causes this disease as the covid-19 virus. This is not the formal name for the virus – the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses calls it the “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”, or SARS-CoV-2, because it is related to the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003. However, to avoid confusion with SARS the WHO calls it the covid-19 virus when communicating with the public.

The WHO’s definition of a confirmed case of covid-19 is a person shown by laboratory testing to be infected with the virus, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms. However, some reported case numbers from China have included people with symptoms of covid-19, but without laboratory confirmation.

The coronavirus death toll in mainland China increased by 42 Sunday March1, 2020, according to China’s National Health Commission (NHC). All the new deaths were in Hubei province. The additional deaths bring the total death toll in mainland China to 2,912, the NHC said. There have been 129 deaths reported outside mainland China, raising the global death toll to 3,041.

Other deaths across the globe include:

• 54 deaths in Iran
• 34 deaths in Italy
• 20 deaths in South Korea
• 12 deaths in Japan
• 2 deaths each in Hong Kong and France
• 1 death each reported in the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand and the United States

The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China is now 80,026, bringing the global total to 88,443. The number of infected cases have also been increasing globally, including in Malaysia.

Question:

Based on the whole scenario circulating covid-19, identify a potential “solution” that can help control the pandemic from becoming a lot worse than what it is already today. The solution must NOT be from a medical or scientific point of view but from the information technology or digital business perspectives. The solution must also become economically sustainable. In your answer, your solution must fulfil a specific SBO, be categorized in a specific type of information system, has a potent business model, and fits into a specific e-commerce type and category. In addition, how will the solution benefit from social, mobile and location-based technologies and marketing? Finally, how do you intent to develop the solution (based on the assumption that it is going to be a type of information system) and ensure its web development is effectively executed?

Answer 1

Solution:

Covid-19 which first emerged in Wuhan, China is spreading rapidly across the globe primarily due to the quantum of domestic and international travel. The virus emerged during the Chinese holiday season when most Chinese people travel. Unfortunately, there is no cure yet. Hence, to limit the spread of the virus, most countries are sealing their borders, enforcing travel bans, and resorting to various forms of lockdown.

A pandemic of this magnitude is likely to have a serious impact on the global economy unless we bring in a paradigm shift in our daily lives. For example, now, companies will need solutions that enable work-from-home, educational institutes will need to teach students remotely, people will have to interact with their loved ones virtually, patients will need to find ways to consult doctors and likewise. All of these problems require a simple yet out-of-the-box solution.

It is here, that technology and digital innovation step in to transform the way we live and safely drive the world forward. Remote connectivity is the only solution to ensure minimal movement yet minimal disruptions. This can be enabled using an online video conferencing platform which would address the post-COVID expectations of various Government, Economic, Educational institutions, etc. The video conferencing platform will enable employees to work remotely yet bring in a personal connection due to the visual interface. It will ensure that children can continue with their education in the safety of their homes. The video conferencing platform would be simple, cost-effective, safe, and reliable.

Some of the key features within the platform would be:

1. Screen sharing - to have interactive web meetings;
2. Support multiple webcams - to allow multiple attendees to participate simultaneously;
3. Chat features - it should have a chat window where the participants can interact;
4. Built-in audio/voice feature - to ensure effective participation;
5. HD video - to provide an immersive user experience;
6. Audio/Video recording feature - to save and share recordings with larger groups;
7. Presentation features - various types of file formats can be uploaded and played;
8. Screen controls - so that there are no unwanted interruptions;
9. Website and app-based - users can use it seamlessly even on the move;
10. Access control - User login credentials to ensure data safety and authorized access.

The platform can be monetized in two ways:

1. There would be a free interface for basic usage and adoption; and
2. Additional premium interface for advanced users and potential upgrades.

With the whole world is trying to cope with Covid-19 related movement restrictions and a vaccine does not seem in the immediate anvil, an online video conferencing platform can go a long way in minimizing the disruptions without compromising safety.