How high technologies are used to fight coronavirus in China

China has been shaping the technology sector for decades. After the coronavirus outbreak, Beijing is calling on IT companies to join the fight against the epidemic. The country's tech giants have started using driverless cars that can deliver the necessary materials to doctors, drones with thermal cameras to detect signs of the virus and have used IT technologies to develop a vaccine.

It is unclear how much technology will be able to help control the virus, which has already infected at least 79,000 people worldwide and killed 2,600 people (mainly in China). But Beijing has firmly decided that the fight against the epidemic has become a national priority that requires joint efforts. The state has invested billions in technology development for a long time, so the computer sector now needs to help its native country.

Beijing aims to change the main priority of the country's economy from manufacturing to high technology by 2025. The state invests billions in the development of wireless communications, microchips and robots.During the fight against the coronavirus, Tencent (TCEHY) began releasing improved versions of computers that can perform calculations many times faster than conventional PCs to help scientists find a cure for the disease. The Chinese conglomerate Didi has teamed up with medical organizations, enabling employees who are engaged in data analysis, online modeling and logistics to use the provider's servers for free. Other firms are developing robots to reduce human contact.

Shanghai firm TMIRob has sent dozens of robots that work inside hospitals in Wuhan. They spray disinfectant in isolated wards, intensive care units and operating rooms.

Drones were also involved in the fight against the epidemic. They help the authorities to scan large crowds of people and identify those who need medical care. The manufacturer of MicroMultiCopter, based in Shenzhen, has sent 100 such devices to all corners of the country. The company has also sent about 200 employees to command centers, from where they can monitor what the drones see in real time.The use of drones and other computer technologies has provoked criticism among human rights activists, who consider it a violation of freedom and surveillance. China has long used facial recognition, artificial intelligence and other technologies in the fight against crime and to monitor its citizens. Now, against the background of the fight against coronavirus, security measures have been tightened.

In Wuhan, the fight against the insidious coronavirus continues, which has claimed many lives. Doctors work for days, falling off their feet from fatigue, and after a work shift their faces look very haggard.