COVID-19 info centre to be set up at Dawood University

A multidisciplinary group comprising doctors, epidemiologists, virologists, geneticists, geographic information system (GIS) experts, computer engineers, data analysts and representatives of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) are planning to develop a GIS covering coronavirus cases at the union councils’ level.

This task force held its second meeting at the Dawood University of Engineering & Technology (DUET). The meeting’s participants agreed that the collection of COVID-19 data was the most urgent need. They decided to carry out a survey of affected people with the help of volunteers at the hospitals and other places.

It was decided that the information would be digitised so that it could be analysed. A GIS would be developed to locate coronavirus cases at the level of union councils and then the to street and building levels. The GIS training programmes would be organised as soon as possible. A COVID-19 Information and Coordination Centre with a control room would be established at the Dawood University and a mobile app would be developed to create public awareness, it was decided.

The participants vowed to ensure that in the process of data collection, the confidentiality of individuals would be respected.