USING A DIGITAL PLATFORM TO PREVENT A NEW OUTBREAK OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This article seeks to explore the specifics and benefits of applying modern digital technologies to prevent the spread of a coronavirus disease. A new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the epidemiological situation in Ukraine which challenged the need to toughening of quarantine measures that were announced on 31 August, 2020. The analysis results revealed 3 groups of digital contact tracing technologies being currently used: from maximum (25%) to minimum (20%). The purpose of this study is to develop an online platform to track the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas. To attain the research objectives, the following methods were employed: factor analysis which identified the key factors affecting the COVID-19 virus spreading; cluster analysis which revealed the clusters of COVID-19 concentration; the taxonomy approach that enabled to identify the limitations in the contact tracing methods application; the discriminant analysis technique that provides for the possibility of change the contact tracing method currently used. The findings record that the identified impact factors (medical and demography specifics in the spread of Covid-19; rural infrastructure to avoid the coronavirus transmission and contamination) describe a total of 83.24% of the processed data. The identified 4 clusters differ in the level of COVID-19 susceptibility of population and infrastructure development: from the minimum (33% of the united territorial communities) to the maximum – 13% of the united territorial communities. The calculated value of the integrated indicator provides for setting the maximum (8.5) and the minimum (2) limits on changes in the digital contact tracing method. The developed methodology has been implemented within the united territorial communities of Vinnytsia region. Epidemiological surveillance to monitor pandemic fluctuations has enabled to justify the need to change the model of contact tracing which will contribute to reducing the Covid-19 transmission dynamics in the region by 30% overall.