Key Areas of Application of Digital Technology in Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed many areas of human activity. The use of digital technology can largely level out the adverse effects in the economy, medicine, and education. The authors conducted a content analysis of 134 articles in Russian and English in such databases as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, Eurostat, and the World Health Organization and identified four main areas of research on the application of digital technology in the COVID-19 pandemic. The study systematized the main digital technologies used in medicine and health, providing social support to the population, used to control the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring the digitalization of education. In particular, the authors focused on the experience of several countries in the application of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and control of diseases and the use of systems to monitor the movement of ill people and track social contacts. Among the digital technologies that provide social support to the population, the authors considered technologies informing the population, virtual hospitals and chatbots, and the provision of public services via the Internet. The conducted content analysis allowed identifying digitalization of the educational process: the development of digital learning and teaching materials and services and distribution of models of organization of educational work.KeywordsCOVID-19Digital technologyContent analysisJEL ClassificationF29