Quantum Computers in help with the pandemic problem

Post date: Apr 10, 2020 5:24:57 PM

“What we’re working on right now is on the issue of handoff by allocating patients to medical facilities as close as possible according to the patient’s symptoms, so as not to exceed the capacity of the medical facilities,” 

This is a mathematical problem that can be done on a quantum-computing system that takes into account the distance from the origin of the patients to the medical facilities as well as the patient’s symptoms and the capacity of each medical facility.

A quantum computer could also be used to help quickly validate a vaccine for the virus. Such machines, though, are still in their very early stages. 

Volkswagen, which has previously experimented with quantum computers from D-Wave and other vendors to calculate the fastest routes for different vehicles, has several experts on hand to help researchers interested in using D-Wave’s machines for Covid-19 research.

“In the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the potential of quantum computing can open up new opportunities”  .

Menten AI, a San Francisco-based startup that uses machine learning and quantum computing to design protein drugs and enzymes for use in drug discovery, said D-Wave’s hybrid quantum system has shown promising results outside of Covid-19 research.

The company recently used D-Wave’s hybrid machine to run several computations related to protein packing, which is a component of drug discovery.

Since Quantum algorithms are suited to investigate is the traveling salesperson problem , A quantum computer could pass out vaccines to healthcare providers in the most efficient manner possible, something that would save precious time and a way to curb the spread of the disease. 

This type of coordination would be absolutely essential for a country such as China, which is particularly hard-hit by coronavirus. Because China has many large cities spread around the vast nation, getting the medicine in the hands of the right people at the right time would save an untold number of lives.

Similar to the traveling vaccination salesman, quantum computers could also be used to position the right resources and the right emergency personnel to help thwart the spread of a disease. 

Many areas under quarantine, for example, need special considerations — emergency food, water, and fuel. Jugging these supply concerns is a logistical nightmare. A quantum computer might be suited to classifying those supplies and delivering them to the right places.

The best weapon against an epidemic is to stop them before they start, quantum computers could constantly monitor data to diminish any flare-ups. 

From analyzing health statistics to using natural language processing to parse social media messages for clues of disease outbreaks, quantum computers may make a vigilant sentry against the next killer pandemic.

Published on :https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-quantum-computers-help-pandemic-problem-professor-lili-saghafi/