How Blockchain Can Help Medical Facilities Control the Spread of Coronavirus

In the United States at least 12,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, and 194 people have died as of Friday, March 20. Villanova College of Engineering professor Hasshi Sudler explains there are two critical areas where blockchain can help control the spread of coronavirus. 

"As individuals travel across borders, medical facilities need immutable, trustworthy medical data quickly and electronically. A critical requirement to contain coronavirus is to track any individual having tested positive and to track the health of anyone who has come in contact with that individual, even if those encounters were across borders," says Prof. Sudler, an expert on electrical and computer engineering.  "The blockchain can be a common source of data that allows medical facilities to share immutable information internationally."

Sudler cautions that, with the potential for people to provide false information about symptoms and travel history, medical facilities need a method to share trustworthy data with one another in real-time about individuals tested, their test results and test kits used (as some kits have proven faulty).

Another requirement for controlling the spread of the virus is to validate quality medical advice while also identifying misinformation that could be circulating in society. "In the event of a pandemic, misinformation can be extremely dangerous. The public needs a way to confirm official statements made by reputable sources," says Prof. Sudler.

While social media may be a popular source of information, it can also be a means of spreading myths, conspiracies and opinions often presented as facts.  "The blockchain can serve as a means to verify quality advice the public should follow versus false claims the public should disregard," says Prof. Sudler.