Fomite Health Risk Estimation via Network Communication Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infectious diseases pose a significant burden on healthcare systems and economies due to the high number of visits and lost workdays, with common illnesses like the common cold affecting millions annually, and existing methods lack effective monitoring and prevention strategies for disease transmission through frequently touched objects (fomites).
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that analyzes network communications to identify frequently touched objects and determines their associated health risks, aggregating these risks to advise modified courses of action for individuals and entities responsible for disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional disease monitoring methods are used, then healthcare resources are consumed for treatment, but preventive monitoring of disease transmission through fomites is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification and risk assessment of fomites before disease transmission occurs. By analyzing network communications to identify frequently touched objects and assessing their health risks in advance, the system enables preventive actions (such as disinfection recommendations) before actual transmission happens, thereby improving reliability while capturing otherwise lost fomite contact information.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive network communication analysis is performed to identify all fomites, then health risk monitoring improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a multi-functional analysis framework that processes various types of network communications (social media posts, messages, reviews) through a unified approach. The same processing pipeline handles different data sources and formats, identifying fomites and assessing risks through consistent methods. This universal approach improves measurement precision across diverse communication types while avoiding the need for separate complex systems for each data source.
3Speed
If real-time health risk assessment of fomites is implemented, then disease transmission can be prevented, but processing resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by focusing risk assessment on identified high-risk situations and frequently touched objects rather than continuously analyzing all possible contacts. Network communications are analyzed to identify specific fomites of concern, and risk assessment is concentrated on these targeted objects. This approach enables timely prevention of disease transmission while reducing overall processing energy consumption by avoiding exhaustive analysis of all potential fomite contacts.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a processing device, and a computer program product are provided. In various embodiments, one or more processing devices retrieves one or more network communications. The one or more network communications are analyzed, by the at least one processing device, and identifies objects referred to in the network communications having frequent physical contact with different entities. A resulting health risk is produced by aggregating the health risk for each identified object. Based on the resulting health risk, a modified course of action for an entity is advised.