As new cases of infection and death due to the novel coronavirus surge—over 76,000 cases and more than 2,300 deaths reported in mainland China alone—a US-based business process services company has announced the availability of its disease surveillance and outbreak management platform to track and report COVID-19 cases.
Conduent Incorporated will host the coronavirus-enabled version of Maven in its secure cloud which health agencies and other organizations can access. The coronavirus module is expected to be available within the month.
The software platform is developed for organizations to manage cases of more than 90 communicable diseases. Its flexible design allows organizations to customize disease tracking most prevalent in specific geographies or communities.
In addition to COVID-19, Maven has the capability to track diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and Ebola. More than 40 organizations are currently using the platform, and some have already taken advantage of the its flexibility by configuring it to track the coronavirus’ spread within their respective locations.
“Maven is a valuable tool that organizations can use to identify and follow up on people who may have come into contact with a person infected with a communicable or infectious disease,” said Mark Brewer, president of Conduent’s global public sector solutions.
Brewer added, “In the absence of a vaccine, tracking and analyzing who is at risk from contact with an infected person is one of the most important methods available to contain diseases like the coronavirus and prevent widespread outbreaks.
“Maven’s technology is scalable and can be quickly and easily configured to changing technologies, protocols, and geographic locations—all of which are keys to effective disease outbreak response. It is also designed to allow for easier data sharing and integration among health agencies on the front lines of battling the disease.”
Designed with rich contact tracing, outbreak management, and detection, state and local health organizations can collaborate to quickly and effectively contain public health crises—a much-needed technology for countries such as the Philippines, which as of February 25, has reported three confirmed COVID-related cases.
In the Philippines, the company operates in Manila and Cebu.
Epidemiologists can use Maven’s reporting capability to search and analyze the centralized data collected to discover trends and patterns. It can also be used to report externally, supporting the need for automatic case reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, the World Health Organization, or local authorities.