Patent Publication Number: US-2020294680-A1

Title: Advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/024,387, filed on Jun. 29, 2018; U.S. application Ser. No. 16/126,537, filed on Sep. 10, 2018; and U.S. application Ser. No. 16/429,550, filed on Jun. 3, 2019, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure is generally related to an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine; in one or more example embodiments, to predicting a spread of an infectious disease and evaluating pandemic response resources; and to predicting risk areas of the infectious disease including areas of high risk of mortality and/or critical cases due to the infection. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, affecting a substantial number of people. Throughout history, there have been a number of pandemics, including COVID-19 (2019). Strategies for controlling the scope of a pandemic include containment, mitigation, and suppression. 
     Containment is typically undertaken in the early stages of a pandemic, and may include contact tracing and isolating infected individuals to stop the disease from spreading to the rest of the population. During the containment stage, public health intervention for facilitating infection control and therapeutic countermeasures, such as vaccinations, may be applicable. When it is not possible to contain the spread of the disease, strategic mitigation may be implemented, in which measures are taken to slow the spread of the disease and mitigate its effects on society, including the healthcare system. Containment and mitigation measures may be undertaken simultaneously. Suppression requires more extreme long-term interventions so as to reverse the pandemic by reducing the basic reproduction number to less than one. The suppression strategy, which includes stringent population-wide social distancing, home isolation of cases, and household quarantine, carries with it considerable social and economic costs. 
     As history shows, a novel virus may lead to, either progressively or simultaneously, international travel restrictions, the cancellation of numerous public events across the globe, and the quarantine and social isolation of millions and potentially billions of people in numerous countries. 
     SUMMARY 
     In at least one example embodiment, a method of predicting a spread of an infectious disease and evaluating pandemic response resources includes generating a predictive model, obtaining a set of patient data and a set of resource data (e.g., the location, quantity, and/or availability of doctors, nurses, beds, test kits, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, MRI machines, critical medications, and/or other essential medical equipment and/or devices etc.) from a plurality of data sources, geocoding the patient and resource data, loading the data into a geospatial data analytic application (or spatial data infrastructure), and applying the predictive model to the set of patient data and the set of resource data. The method also includes determining resource levels based on an output of the predictive model, outputting the resource levels formatted for integration into an electronic health records system to trigger a resource allocation and/or procurement, and adjusting the set of resource data based on the resource allocation and/or procurement. 
     It will be appreciated that the output (including health pandemic risk indices, resource levels, etc.) of the predictive model may also be integrated into a data processing system including software systems supporting disaster and emergency response platforms, such as an electronic health records system, other clinical application, emergency response management system, supply chain tracking and management software system, or any other suitable data processing system, to inform users such as logistics firms, manufacturers, and/or distributors the areas of heightened need for medical equipment and/or supplies so that the users may have distinct advantages (e.g., knowledge of scarcity of particular products in particular areas, etc.) in selling their products into those areas/markets. 
     In at least another example embodiment, a method of predicting risk areas of an infectious disease includes generating a predictive model, and obtaining a set of patient data and a set of condition data from a plurality of data sources. The set of patient data may be obtained from patients having either a first (e.g., primary) identified risk or a second (e.g., secondary) identified risk. The method also includes applying the predictive model to the set of patient data and the set of condition data, determining mitigations for the patients having the first identified risk and patients having the second identified risk based on an output of the predictive model, and outputting the mitigations formatted for integration into an electronic health records system. 
     In at least one example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has computer-readable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations including the above methods and/or other methods disclosed herein. 
     It will be appreciated that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of the pandemic and infectious disease response engine, and these embodiments are to provide a person skilled in the art with an understanding of the contents of the response engine in order to implement the response engine without limiting the scope of protection of the response engine. Any features described in one embodiment may be combined with or incorporated/used into the other embodiment, and vice versa. The equivalent change or modification according to the substance of the response engine should be covered by the scope of protection of the response engine. 
     It will be appreciated that the response engine disclosed herein may provide a predictive tracking and modeling tool for the spread of infectious disease. By leveraging the geospatial tracking capabilities, artificial intelligence based predictive analytics, and health and social data sets, the response engine may track the disease flow and identify at-risk areas for potential future spread of contagion. The modeling may follow a phased approach (e.g., local, regional, national, and international) that expands both the geographic region and improves accuracy of the prediction in each successive phase. The response engine may allow health systems and health authorities to deploy limited resources ahead of the movement of disease, as opposed to reactive measures that at times prove to be insufficient in halting the spread of the contagion or in treating the infected. It will also be appreciated that the output of the response engine (e.g., health pandemic risk indices, etc.) may be integrated into software systems supporting disaster and emergency response management platforms. The health pandemic risk indices include the Transmission Risk Index (TRI) and the Mortality Risk Index and may be integrated into, for example, a data processing system such as an electronic health records system, other clinical application, emergency response management system, supply chain management system, or any other suitable data processing system, including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)&#39;s emergency response management platform allowing FEMA, as the response coordinating body, to deploy medical and other resources to potential high risk areas in advance high rates of infection. The disaster and emergency response management platforms may be at the national level, as well as at the State, county, and/or local levels. 
     It will also be appreciated that the response engine disclosed herein may provide data crucial for pandemic risk management and real-time capacity planning to thereby facilitate a pandemic response. Pandemic response planning and execution require knowledge of available resources, such as the locations and/or availability of medical facilities (including other existing facilities that can be converted into medical facilities in an emergency/pandemic scenario) and equipment; as well as an understanding of the risk of potential supply chain disruptions and dependencies, such as components of key medications and essential resources, in real time. The response engine facilitates identification of pandemic response resources and tracking of global supply chains. The response engine may identify and track the flow of risks to global supply chains and, utilizing such information, provide a robust platform for pandemic management. The response engine may further facilitate monitoring pandemic-related supply chain disruptions across all sectors of an economy. 
     It will further be appreciated that the response engine disclosed herein may assist and facilitate quarantine/self-quarantine efforts. The response engine may leverage identified high risk geographic areas, as well as assess environmental factors that may potentially exacerbate or inhibit the spread of the pandemic, such as the incubation temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors for viral replication. The response engine may produce recommendations for which areas of a community should be considered for quarantine and/or decontamination, as well as areas of a community in which social isolation should be implemented. 
     The response engine may contribute to reduction of mental health issues related to social isolation (e.g., cabin fever), by using e.g., data from remote sensors. For example, the response engine may receive, and store, information from personal medical devices and wearable sensors to facilitate monitoring of the mental and emotional well-being of individuals subject to social distancing and quarantining. 
     By accurately assessing when and where the environment is least conducive to the growth and spread of the pathogen, determinations as to when and where resumption of social interaction constitutes an acceptable risk, prudent decisions may be made as to when mobility levels and the associated economic activity may return to normal levels. Accordingly, the response engine may facilitate upward and downward scaling of the quarantine/de-quarantine efforts as the number of people under quarantine expands and eventually contracts. 
     The response engine may further facilitate generating quarantine plans to monitor and guide those under social isolation and/or quarantine, as well as plans to de-quarantine impacted communities in a structured and orderly manner. That is, the response engine may facilitate the management of large-scale social isolation by balancing the risk of contagion against the risk of adverse mental health consequences for individuals and economic loss by communities at-large. For example, the response engine may facilitate generating an action plan to use drones to deliver needed supplies to the elderly and others who are in quarantine or social isolation in a particular community. Then, as the quarantine is lifted or eased, the response engine may facilitate generating an orderly quarantine release plan. The response engine may be leveraged in future pandemic situations and in other cities and regions to guide quarantine response. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of systems, methods, and embodiments of various other aspects of the disclosure. Any person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g. boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. It may be that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another, and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive descriptions are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles. 
       The present disclosure provides a detailed and specific description that refers to the accompanying drawings. The drawings and specific descriptions of the drawings, as well as any specific or alternative embodiments discussed, are intended to be read in conjunction with the entirety of this disclosure. The pandemic and infectious/contagious disease response engine may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and fully convey understanding to those skilled in the art. 
       References are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this disclosure and which illustrate embodiments in which the systems and methods described in this specification may be practiced. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a processing system, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 3  shows an example map generated by an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 4  shows another example map generated by an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example processing flow for a response engine to generate a pandemic predictive model, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 6  shows an example processing flow for a response engine to track resource levels, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 7  shows an example processing flow for a response engine to facilitate generating quarantine and/or de-quarantine plans, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates at least one computer program product that may be utilized to provide an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 9  shows a block diagram illustrating an example computing device by which various example solutions described herein may be implemented, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a work flow of an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. 
     It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the preferred, systems and methods are now described. 
     It will be appreciated that “risk area” or “risk zone” may refer to geographical area(s) where people may be at risk of being affected by the infectious disease to varying degrees. The terms “high risk area” and/or “hot zone” may refer to a risk area or a risk zone where the number of people that may be at risk of being affected by the infectious disease relative to the population of the area is greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 5% within a city/town, a county, a State, etc.). The terms “low risk area” and/or “low risk zone” may refer to a risk area or a risk zone where the number of people that may be at risk of being affected by the infectious disease relative to the population of the area is equal to or lower than a predetermined number (e.g., 5% within a city/town, a county, a State, etc.). The high/low risk area/zone may also refer to an area that has a high/low risk score/index of transmission of the disease or risk score/index of mortality or critical cases due to the disease. The scores/indices may be quantified (e.g., 1-5, 1-100, etc., with the higher the scores/indices indicating areas of higher risk). For example, when the risk score is 3 or more over 5 (if the maximum score is 5) (or 60 or more over 100 (if the maximum score is 100)) for an area, the area is a high risk area (hot zone); when the risk score is less than 3 over 5 (or less than 60 over 100) for an area, the area is a low risk area/zone. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the claims may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine  100 , according to at least one example embodiment described herein. The response engine  100  may be used for pandemic tracking, management, and response, such as predicting a spread of an infectious disease and evaluating pandemic response resources, and predicting risk areas of the infectious disease.  FIG. 1  shows a plurality of data sources  110   a,    110   b, . . .    110   n  (collectively, “data sources  110 ” hereafter), which may be communicatively coupled to a processing system  120 . Processing system  120  may be communicatively coupled to at least one of a display  130 , a healthcare service provider  140  (e.g., a hospital, other point-of-care provider, or a governmental health department, etc.), and disaster and emergency response managers (e.g., FEMA, etc.). By way of example and without limitation, one or more of the communicative couplings may be wired or wireless connections as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     Data sources  110   a,    110   b, . . .    110   n  may refer to, but not be limited to, e.g., state health departments and national level health repositories (such as US state health departments and national level health repositories, health repositories for other nations, etc.), America&#39;s Health Rankings, County Health Rankings, CDC Wonder, World Health Organization (WHO), The United Nations, Kaiser Family Foundation, other non-profits, etc. Further, not only are the systems described, recited, and foreseen herein not limited to the data sources listed above, but they are not limited in quantity to those shown in  FIG. 1 . Further still, unless context otherwise requires, the description and recitation henceforth may refer to the singular “data source  110 ” without being limiting. 
     The data received from one or more instances of data sources  110  may include, but not be limited to vital health statistics and social determinants of health resources that are available on municipality-levels, e.g., national level, state level, counties, cities, towns, ZIP codes, census tracks, and census blocks. As discussed below, the collection of statistical reports for pandemic and infectious disease response, behaviour, and demographic data may be utilized to implement the response engine. 
     To establish a response to a pandemic and/or infectious disease, examples of information provided by data sources  110  may include various socio-environmental and biological risk factors for those in position to provide assistance, such as, e.g., healthcare service provider  140 . Those risk factors may include, but not be limited to: environmental and/or climate changes, population demographics, education and/or racial disparities that may contribute to access to quality health services; socio-economic variables such as social class, income, access to insurance, housing, etc. 
     Data sources  110  may provide, for example, information relating to one or more of geography, demographics, local transportation, finances (both macro- and micro-), health care availability, law enforcement resources, social media of individuals, socioeconomic statistics, and/or historical health data, which may be cross-referenced as well as correlated to population data, individual patient data, health resource data, and/or health-related condition data. In the context of a pandemic and/or infectious disease response, examples of such information that data sources  110  may provide may include, but are not limited to, patient data (e.g., age, whether a patient is chronically ill or has underlying health condition, whether a patient has been infected by the infectious disease, whether the patient is undergoing treatment for the infectious disease, whether the patient has developed an antibody for the infectious disease, etc.); from EHR (electronic health records) systems, social determinants (e.g., for individuals as well as for a community, financial information, education, travel history, habitat, e.g., long-term care facility or private residency, and fatalities, which, for example, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and/or local health department. These and other data may be obtained from a variety of private and or government sources. 
     The response engine  100  may analyse geocoded health, social, and environmental data to identify health risks, as well as determine potential solutions for managing a pandemic on various scales. Data sets (including patients, resources such as availability of hospital beds, medical equipment, etc.) are geocoded and analysed by the response engine  100  to provide needed information, such as the identification of future infectious disease hot zones location and quantity of ventilators as part of the response; low risk zones that may be re-opened safely, i.e., public gatherings and commercial activity may be resumed, relative to a broad re-opening of the economy; as well as other socioeconomic outcomes. The response engine  100  may identify, e.g., which location needs ventilators, where people may be at risk to varying degrees, geographical areas at risk of being affected by the infectious disease to varying degrees, the availability of the ventilators in a particular geographical area, etc. The response engine  100  may provide history data on healthcare resources and/or history data on environmental data (e.g., climate, temperature, etc.) to identify growing and changing healthcare needs for the overall population on varying scales of community. 
     The response engine  100  may further generate a Health Risk Index (HRI) to provide health information on disease/disaster-impacted populations to first responders. The HRI may help to determine an impacted population based on the provided health information so that the medical and health needs may be addressed during response efforts. The response engine  100  may also identify future needs when a community changes (include the changes to risk factors of the community), allowing a health system to ensure its capacity and resource levels can continue to meet healthcare needs for various diseases. The response engine  100  may also facilitate better allocation of both health and social resources to disadvantaged and at-risk communities to help mitigate and address health care inequities. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a processing system  120 , according to at least one example embodiment described herein. In one or more embodiments, processing system  120  may include one or more processors or computing devices  123  (collectively, “processor” as used herein), a system memory  125 , communication ports  127  to acquire data from one or more of data sources  110 , and a database  129 . Processing system  120  may be configured and arranged to implement an information system platform with a data analytic engine (such as the response engine) as discussed below. Data acquired from the data sources  110  may be added to the database  129 . The stored data may be analysed using data analytics, and formatted for output for any suitable purpose, including for display on a geographic or other map via display  130 , or for further analysis or review (e.g., personal or machine) either locally or remotely (e.g., into the EHR system at a hospital or other healthcare service provider  140 ). 
       FIG. 3  shows an example map generated by an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
       FIG. 4  shows another example map generated by an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
     The example maps generated by the advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine disclosed herein may show a prediction of a spread of an infectious disease (e.g., SARS, COVID-19) and serve as a tool for assessing the allocation and/or availability of pandemic response resources (e.g., doctors, nurses, beds, test kits, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, etc.) and for predicting risk areas of the infectious disease, of varying degrees of risk, and for illustrating hot zones in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein. 
     In one or more embodiments,  FIG. 3  may indicate, based on the data obtained from data sources  110 , regions with the number of confirmed/positive diagnoses (or diagnoses related to whatever health risk is being tracked), the number of death related to the disease, and the number of counties being impacted in the U.S. (or any state or region of the country, as well as regions outside the country that may be of interest) by the shaded areas (showing the Transmission Risk Index) and by the solid dots (showing the counties being impacted), such information being made available by public sources. 
       FIG. 4  may indicate, based on the data obtained from data sources  110 , regions with the number of confirmed/positive diagnoses (or diagnoses related to whatever risk is being tracked), the number of deaths related to the disease, and the number of ventilators available in a city in, e.g., Maryland (or any other state or region of the country, as well as regions outside the country that may be of interest) by the shaded areas (showing the Transmission Risk Index) and locations of treatment facilities by the crosses, and medical facilities with ventilators (including Hospitals) by the solid dots, such information being made available by public sources.  FIGS. 3 and 4 , illustrate but examples of how many health resources (e.g., ventilators) are available and how many confirmed patients/cases and death in a given period of time. 
     The advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine  100  provides spatial data infrastructure including geospatial visualization capabilities, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (Al) based predictive analytics, and data sets from data sources  110 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4 , of course, illustrate but examples of how the mapping may provide a ready visualization of the physical proximity of treatment facilities to areas of greater risk, availability of travel routes from such hot zones to the treatment facilities, political boundaries where local agencies or representatives may be targeted, etc. With knowledge of demographic, economic, and other social determinants, relationships between and among the subject population and social determinants are also readily ascertained by this visual presentation, much more effectively than mere data manipulation or mental analysis, which may not be effectively performed for the myriad and disparate data, data sources, and correlations that form the foundation for the hot zone maps shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     The response engine  100  may create a Transmission Risk Index (TRI) at the state/national/international and local levels to track the infectious disease flow and identify at-risk areas for potential future spread of contagion. The TRI identifies the high risk areas as well as assesses the environmental factors that may potentially exacerbate or inhibit the viral transmission (e.g., incubation temperature for viral replication, etc.). The TRI may be used to make recommendations to the community on areas that should be considered for social distancing or quarantine measures as well as communities or public areas that should be decontaminated. The response engine  100  may facilitate tracking e.g., occupancy rates for healthcare facilities (such as hospitals and surgical centers) and the utilization of medical resources (such as MRI machines, ventilators, and critical medications, etc.). 
     The response engine  100  may create the TRI to predict the location of future outbreaks of the disease, and may create a Mortality Risk Index to identify the regions with the highest risk of critical illness and death due to the disease—each at the county, ZIP code, and census tract levels. These Indices (TRI, Mortality Risk Index, etc.) may allow emergency managers and medical responders to predict the next hot zones and outbreaks of the disease at the county and/or ZIP Codes levels. The prediction may be based on current cases, disease progression, mobility, and/or social data within the response engine  100 . The output of the response engine (TRI, Mortality Risk Index, etc.) may enable deployment of e.g., medical resources in advance of the viral outbreaks, rather than chasing the outbreaks, to aid e.g., first responders to save lives, and may improve the ability to halt the spread of the contagion and treat the infected. 
     These Indices may guide e.g., eventual de-quarantine efforts to resume economic activity in “safe” or “low risk” zones, to reduce the risk of a second bump of cases as normal activity and social interaction is resumed, to speed the safe resumption of normal economic activity and benefit the economy, and to resume normal activities and reduce the mental health risk associated with long-term social isolation. 
     These Indices may facilitate understanding of disruptions and availability in supply chain of medical supplies and equipment, may help to provide information on on-the-ground medical facilities and key resources and equipment, such as ventilators, masks, and other PPE, needed during emergency response as well as recovery phases, and may help to develop supply chains visibility so key resources and equipment can be acquired, manufactured, allocated from other areas, or other contingencies can be developed. 
     These Indices may help to anticipate downstream impact and strain on industries and the social safety net, may help assess downstream impacts from pandemic to ensure continuity of critical services (for example, funeral homes are an industry potentially impacted by a surge in the COVID-19 fatalities). 
       FIG. 5  shows an example processing flow  500  for a response engine to generate a pandemic predictive model, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. In one or more embodiments, the model uses general population data (e.g., at a geographic area such as a city/town, a state/province, a country, etc.) to identify patients who have tested positive for the subject infectious disease (with no or mild symptoms, with severe symptoms warrant hospitalization, with severe symptoms that warrant intensive care (ICU), etc.), and patients who have tested negative for the subject infectious disease (have developed an antibody (recovered from the subject infectious disease), have not developed an antibody, etc.). 
     Processing flow  500  may include one or more operations, actions, or functions depicted by one or more blocks  510 ,  520 ,  530 ,  540 ,  550 ,  560 ,  570 , and  580 . Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. As a non-limiting example, the description of processing flow  500 , corresponding to the depiction thereof in  FIG. 5  and performed by processing system  120  in one or more embodiments described herein, pertains to predicting patients affected by the infectious disease under a certain condition. Processing may begin at blocks  510  and  580 . 
     Block  510  (Acquire Population Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a set of population data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . Population data may include a form of identification of individual patients or potential patients of the infectious disease, including but not limited to wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the population data may be obtained from public sources such as a government agency, healthcare service providers such as hospitals, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), etc. Block  510  may be followed by either of Block  520  and Block  530 . 
     Block  580  (Acquire Condition Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a set of condition data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . Condition data may include a location of the patients or potential patients of the infectious disease, an incubation temperature for viral replication, a transmission risk index for the infectious disease, including but not limited to wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the condition data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  580  may be followed by Block  540 . 
     Block  520  (Identify First Subset) may refer to processor  123  identifying a first subset of the set of population data based on at least one criterion in which the first subset includes patients who tested positive for the subject infectious disease and are undergoing treatment (hospitalized or admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) or claimed dead) or quarantine (with no or mild symptom), in the examples given. The first subset may include a statistically significant percentage of patients. This data may be obtained from a government agency, healthcare service providers such as hospitals, the CDC, by way of non-limiting examples. Block  520  may be followed by Block  540 . 
     Block  530  (Identify Second Subset) may refer to processor  123  applying a predictive model to perform a retrospective analysis of the set of population data to identify a second subset of the set of population data in which the second subset includes patients who have at least likely developed an antibody (recovered from the infectious disease) based on the first subset and the condition data. For example, the model may produce a risk score for each individual in the population data and identify those individuals who would not be considered to be at risk for the infectious disease in a particular location and/or under an incubation temperature for viral replication and/or with a predetermined transmission risk index for the infectious disease. Block  530  may be followed by Block  540 . 
     It will be appreciated that the second subset data can be obtained by, for example, conducting extensive antibody test for each individual in the set of population data. It will also be appreciated that in at least one example embodiment, the first subset may be utilized in Block  530  and the second subset may be utilized in Block  510 . In such embodiments, the predictive model may be utilized to perform a retrospective analysis of the set of population data to identify the first subset of the set of population data based on the second subset and the condition data. For example, the model may produce a risk score for each individual included in the population data and identify those individuals who would be considered to be at risk for the infectious disease in a particular location and/or under an incubation temperature for viral replication and/or with a predetermined transmission risk index for the infectious disease. 
     In one or more embodiments, the predictive model may have a plurality of analyser channels (customized for the infectious disease), each of which corresponds to an observable condition of a patient. The channels may be weighted to customize or fine tune the predictive model, signifying whether any channels are of equal or greater/lesser importance than others in identifying the first subset or second subset patient. 
     Predictive modeling may allow allocation of channel points in accordance with, or independent of, channel weighting based on the statistical sensitivity of specific factors in predicting, for example, a patient in either of the first subset or second subset. For example, a base score may be calculated as the summation of points attributed to the (weighted or unweighted) analyser channels. The analyser channels may be broken down further into analyser features that provide additional sensitivity in identifying individuals who may be at high/low risk of being affected by the infectious disease. 
     In one or more embodiments, points and/or weights may be assigned to each channel. It should be noted that not all of the channels or features need be part of any given analysis. Moreover, other channels and/or features may be suitable in addition or in the alternative, depending on the study or analysis. In one or more embodiments, point modifiers may be applied to one or more of the channels and/or features to affect the influence of the same on the total base score. Non-limiting examples include percentage weightings, inclusion/exclusion of certain channels/features to suit any particular analysis or subject population, etc. 
     In one or more embodiments, the model may place a higher weight or point value for any or all of the channels. In other words, whether certain conditions place a patient at greater risk of being affected by the infectious disease in a long term care facility in contrast to a private residence may be considered. For example, whether an aggregated long term care facility is worse than a low or medium density private residence may be considered in the model. Accordingly, informed guidance may be given towards allocation of health care resources and/or towards implementing more rigorous measurements at long term care facilities. Block  520 ,  530 , and  580  may be followed by Block  540 . 
     Block  540  (Determine Correlation between First/Second Subsets) may refer to processor  123  determining a correlation between the first subset identified in Block  520  and the second subset identified in Block  530  under the conditions acquired at Block  580 . The correlation may be any suitable correlation that results in a value that may be compared to a threshold value. For example, in one or more embodiments, processor  123  may calculate a mathematical correlation between the first subset and the second subset under a certain condition. Additionally or alternatively, in one or more embodiments, processor  123  may determine which individuals in the first subset are also in the second subset and compare the result to a threshold. Block  540  may be followed by Block  550 . 
     Block  550  (Does Correlation Meet or Exceed a Predetermined Threshold?) may refer to processor  123  determining whether the result of Block  540  exceeds a predetermined threshold. If so, then Block  560  may follow Block  550 . If not, then Block  570  may follow Block  550 . 
     Block  560  (Output the Model) may refer to processor  123  outputting the predictive model for, e.g., incorporation into a healthcare records system such as EHR or any other suitable systems/platforms, as the model may be considered to be valid for implementation in determining whether a subject patient may be at risk of being affected by the infectious disease. 
     Block  570  (Adjust Model) may refer to one or more channels being modified, deleted, or added to the predictive model (starting from an initial model, e.g., in a recursive algorithm) and fed back to Block  530  for re-testing in an iterative process performed until Block  550  is answered “YES.” For example, a channel may be modified by adding points or point multipliers, or by changing or adding the weighting. 
     The base score may be adjusted based on several variables in order to obtain a risk score used to modify a clinician&#39;s behaviour, for example. In one or more embodiments, a positive adjustment may be made based on the number of total active channels as well as having channels with greater than five active analyser features. A negative adjustment may be made for single active channels as well as for having fewer than five active features among all analyser channels. Additional positive adjustments may be made in accordance with, e.g., a natural language processing (NLP), for analyser features having grammatical phrases of greater than four words. In one or more embodiments, the composite score may be the sum of the base points and adjustment points, although other combinations of these and/or other variables may be employed additionally or as modifications to the above. 
       FIG. 6  shows an example processing flow  600  for a response engine to track resource levels, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. In one or more embodiments, the model uses patients&#39; data, e.g., patients who have tested positive for the infectious disease (with no or mild symptoms, with severe symptoms that warrant hospitalization, with severe symptoms that warrant admission to an ICU, etc.), and/or patients who have tested negative for the infectious disease (have developed an antibody (recovered from the infectious disease), have not developed an antibody, etc.) to identify patients that currently need healthcare resources. The model also uses resource data (e.g., the location, quantity, and/or availability of doctors, nurses, beds, test kits, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, MRI machines, critical medications, etc.) to identify resource levels (e.g., availability, location, quantity, etc.). 
     Processing flow  600  may include one or more operations, actions, or functions depicted by one or more blocks  610 ,  620 ,  630 ,  640 , and  650 . Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. As a non-limiting example, the description of processing flow  600 , corresponding to the depiction thereof in  FIG. 6  and performed by processing system  120  in one or more embodiments described herein, pertains to predicting resource levels under a certain condition (e.g., for a particular location, etc.), so that the capacity and resources of the healthcare system is not overwhelmed. Processing may begin at blocks  610  and  620 . 
     Block  610  (Acquire Patient Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a set of patient data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . The data acquired in Block  610  may include, without limitation, identification of patients who have tested positive for the infectious disease (with no or mild symptoms, with severe symptoms that warrant hospitalization, with severe symptoms that warrant admission to an ICU, etc.), and/or patients tested negative for the infectious disease (have developed an antibody (recovered from the infectious disease), have not developed an antibody, etc.). The data may be acquired via wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the patient data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the healthcare service providers such as the hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  610  may be followed by Block  630 . 
     Block  620  (Acquire Resource Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a set of resource data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . The data acquired in Block  620  may include, without limitation, the location, quantity, and/or availability of doctors, nurses, beds, test kits, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, MRI machines, critical medications, etc., acquired via wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the resource data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the healthcare service providers such as the hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  620  may be followed by Block  630 . 
     Block  630  (Apply Model) may refer to processor  123  analysing the data acquired in Blocks  320  and  330  in accordance with the model validated according to procedure  500  and outputted at Block  560 . For example, the data in each analyser channel may be converted to a channel score. Block  630  may be followed by Block  640 . It will be appreciated that Block  630  also includes geocoding the data (e.g., the patient and the resource data), loading the data into a geospatial data analytic application (or spatial data infrastructure) including the model, and applying the model to the data. 
     Block  640  (Determine Resource Levels) may refer to processor  123  determining resource levels based on the channel scores determined in Blocks  640 . For example, the channel scores may be summed to create resource levels. The resource levels may indicate the availability (e.g., the number of a resource that is available for use and/or that is needed) of a particular resource (e.g., ventilators) in a given period of time (day, week, month, etc.) in view of the patient data (patients that need the particular resource). Block  640  may be followed by Block  650 . 
     Block  650  (Trigger Resource Procurement) may refer to processor  123  triggering a resource allocation and/or procurement based on the determined resource levels in Blocks  640 . For example, if the resource levels data of Block  640  is less than a predetermined threshold, a resource allocation and/or procurement (and/or an alert to the display/system) is triggered for that particular resource. Block  650  may be followed by Block  620  to adjust the resource data based on the resource allocation and/or procurement of Block  650 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an example processing flow  700  for a response engine to facilitate generating quarantine and/or de-quarantine plans, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. In one or more embodiments, the model uses a first set of patient data (high risk patient or high risk of transmission) including identification of, e.g., patients who have tested positive for the infectious disease (with no or mild symptoms, with severe symptoms that warrant hospitalization, with severe symptoms that warrant admission to an ICU, etc.), and a second set of patient data (low risk patient or low risk of transmission), e.g., patients who have tested negative for the infectious disease (have developed an antibody (recovered from the infectious disease), have not developed an antibody, etc.) to generate quarantine and/or de-quarantine plans. The model also uses condition data (location of the patients or potential patients of the infectious disease; an incubation temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental factors for viral replication; a transmission risk index for the infectious disease, etc.) to generate quarantine and/or de-quarantine plans. 
     Processing flow  700  may include one or more operations, actions, or functions depicted by one or more blocks  710 ,  720 ,  730 ,  740 ,  750 , and  760 . Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. As a non-limiting example, the description of processing flow  700 , corresponding to the depiction thereof in  FIG. 7  and performed by processing system  120  in one or more embodiments described herein, pertains to generating quarantine and/or de-quarantine plans under a certain condition (e.g., for a particular location, under a certain temperature, etc.). Processing may begin at blocks  710 ,  720 , and  730 . 
     Block  710  (Acquire High Risk Patient Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a first set of patient data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . The data acquired in Block  710  may include, without limitation, identification of patients who have tested positive for the infectious disease (with no or mild symptoms, with severe symptoms that warrant hospitalization, with severe symptoms that warrant admission to an ICU, etc.). The data may be acquired via wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). The data acquired in Block  710  are patients with high risk of transmission of the infectious disease. In some embodiments, and without limitation, the patient data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the healthcare service providers such as the hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  710  may be followed by Block  740 . 
     Block  720  (Acquire Low Risk Patient Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a second set of patient data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . The data acquired in Block  720  may include, without limitation, identification of patients who have tested negative for the infectious disease (have developed an antibody (recovered from the infectious disease), have not developed an antibody, etc.). The data acquired in Block  720  are patients with low risk of transmission of the infectious disease, and the data may be acquired via wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the patient data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the healthcare service providers such as the hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  720  may be followed by Block  740 . 
     Block  730  (Acquire Condition Data) may refer to processing system  120  receiving a set of condition data from data sources  110  via communication ports  127 . The data acquired in Block  730  may include location of the patients or potential patients of the infectious disease, an incubation temperature for viral replication, a transmission risk index for the infectious disease. The data may be acquired via wireless or wired communications from data sources  110  or manual entry (for example, by an operator using a keyboard or tablet, smartphone, etc. utilizing appropriate application software). In some embodiments, and without limitation, the condition data may be obtained from public sources such as the government agency, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. Block  730  may be followed by Block  740 . 
     Block  740  (Apply Model) may refer to processor  123  analysing the data acquired in Blocks  710 ,  720 , and  730  in accordance with the model validated according to procedure  500  and outputted at Block  560 . For example, the data in each analyser channel may be converted to a channel score. Block  740  may be followed by Blocks  750  and/or  760 . 
     Block  750  (Generate Quarantine Actions) may refer to processor  123  generating plans for quarantine based on the channel scores determined in Blocks  740 . For example, the channel scores may be summed to create quarantine plans. The quarantine plans include monitoring and guiding the high risk patients under social isolation and/or quarantine for given period of time (day, week, month, etc.), and the given period of time may be up to and including the duration of the pandemic and recovery phases. Block  750  may be followed by Block  710  to adjust the high risk patient data after the quarantine plans are implemented. 
     Block  760  (Generate De-quarantine Actions) may refer to processor  123  generating plans for de-quarantine based on the channel scores determined in Blocks  740 . For example, the channel scores may be summed to create de-quarantine plans. The de-quarantine plans include developing plan for structured de-quarantine of all impacted communities for low risk patients. Block  760  may be followed by Block  720  to adjust the low risk patient data after the de-quarantine plans are implemented. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates at least one computer program product that may be utilized to provide an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. Program product  800  may include a signal bearing medium  802 . Signal bearing medium  802  may include one or more instructions  804  that, when executed by, for example, a processor, may provide the functionality described above with respect to  FIGS. 5-7 . By way of example, but not limitation, instructions  804  may include: one or more instructions for patient data and resource data, one or more instructions for population data and condition data, one or more instructions for applying the predictive model to the input data, one or more instructions for determining and outputting the output data of the predictive model, one or more instructions for adjusting the predictive model/data, one or more instructions for outputting/generating the model, etc. Thus, for example, referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , processor  123  may undertake one or more of the blocks shown in  FIGS. 5-7  in response to instructions  804 . 
     In some implementations, signal bearing medium  802  may encompass a computer-readable medium  806 , such as, but not limited to, a hard disk drive, a CD, a DVD, a flash drive, memory, etc. In some implementations, signal bearing medium  802  may encompass a recordable medium  808 , such as, but not limited to, memory, read/write (R/W) CDs, R/W DVDs, etc. In some implementations, signal bearing medium  802  may encompass a communications medium  810 , such as, but not limited to, a digital and/or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link, etc.). Thus, for example, computer program product  800  may be conveyed to one or more modules of processor  123  by an RF signal bearing medium, where the signal bearing medium is conveyed by a wireless communications medium (e.g., a wireless communications medium conforming with the IEEE 802.11 standard). 
       FIG. 9  shows a block diagram illustrating an example computing device  900  by which various example solutions described herein may be implemented, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. In a very basic configuration  902 , computing device  900  typically includes one or more processors  904  and a system memory  906 . A memory bus  908  may be used for communicating between processor  904  and system memory  906 . 
     Depending on the desired configuration, processor  904  may be of any type including but not limited to a microprocessor (μP), a microcontroller (μC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or any combination thereof. Processor  904  may include one or more levels of caching, such as a level one cache  910  and a level two cache  912 , a processor core  914 , and registers  916 . An example processor core  914  may include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a floating point unit (FPU), a digital signal processing core (DSP Core), or any combination thereof. An example memory controller  918  may also be used with processor  904 , or in some implementations memory controller  918  may be an internal part of processor  904 . 
     Depending on the desired configuration, system memory  906  may be of any type including but not limited to volatile memory (such as RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or any combination thereof. System memory  906  may include an operating system  920 , one or more applications  922 , and program data  924 . Application  922  may include instructions  926  to carry out predicting a spread of an infectious disease and evaluating pandemic response resources, and predicting and responding to risk areas of the infectious disease that are arranged to perform functions as described herein including those described with respect to process  500 ,  600 ,  700  of  FIGS. 5-7 . Program data  924  may include data (e.g., population, patient, resource, condition, etc.) from data resources  110  that may be useful for the response engine as is described herein. In some embodiments, application  922  may be arranged to operate with program data  924  on operating system  920  such that implementations of the response engine in, e.g., healthcare systems to assist clinicians in treating patients in clinical settings and post-examination or discharge, may be provided as described herein. This described basic configuration  902  is illustrated in  FIG. 9  by those components within the inner dashed line. 
     Computing device  900  may have additional features or functionality, and additional interfaces to facilitate communications between basic configuration  902  and any required devices and interfaces. For example, a bus/interface controller  930  may be used to facilitate communications between basic configuration  902  and one or more data storage devices  932  via a storage interface bus  934 . Data storage devices  932  may be removable storage devices  936 , non-removable storage devices  938 , or a combination thereof. Examples of removable storage and non-removable storage devices include magnetic disk devices such as flexible disk drives and hard-disk drives (HDD), optical disk drives such as compact disk (CD) drives or digital versatile disk (DVD) drives, solid state drives (SSD), and tape drives to name a few. Example computer storage media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. 
     System memory  906 , removable storage devices  936  and non-removable storage devices  938  are examples of computer storage media. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which may be used to store the desired information and which may be accessed by computing device  900 . Any such computer storage media may be part of computing device  900 . 
     Computing device  900  may also include an interface bus  940  for facilitating communication from various interface devices (e.g., output devices  942 , peripheral interfaces  944 , and communication devices  946 ) to basic configuration  902  via bus/interface controller  930 . Example output devices  942  include a graphics processing unit  948  and an audio processing unit  950 , which may be configured to communicate to various external devices such as a display or speakers via one or more A/V ports  952 . Example peripheral interfaces  944  include a serial interface controller  954  or a parallel interface controller  956 , which may be configured to communicate with external devices such as input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, etc.) or other peripheral devices (e.g., printer, scanner, etc.) via one or more I/O ports  958 . An example communication device  946  includes a network controller  960 , which may be arranged to facilitate communications with one or more other computing devices  962  over a network communication link via one or more communication ports  964 . 
     The network communication link may be one example of a communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and may include any information delivery media. A “modulated data signal” may be a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR) and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein may include both storage media and communication media. 
     Computing device  900  may be implemented as a portion of a small-form factor portable (or mobile) electronic device such as a cell phone, a tablet, a personal data assistant (PDA), a personal media player device, a wireless web-watch device, a personal headset device, an application specific device, or a hybrid device that include any of the above functions. Computing device  900  may also be implemented as a personal computer including both laptop computer and non-laptop computer configurations. 
       FIG. 10  illustrate a work flow  1000  of an advanced smart pandemic and infectious disease response engine, according to at least one example embodiment described herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , Blocks  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040 , and  1090  represent inputs to the response engine; Blocks  1050 ,  1060 ,  1070 , and  1080  represent outputs of the response engine, and Blocks  1100 ,  1110 , and  1120  represent users of the output of the response engine. It will be appreciated that the input Blocks  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040 , and  1090  can be e.g., data sources  110   a . . . n  of  FIG. 1 ; and the users Blocks  1100 ,  1110 , and  1120  can be e.g., the users  140 ,  150  of  FIG. 1 . Other inputs data may include e.g., mobility infrastructure data such as airports data, public transit data, metros data, etc. Input data may also include e.g., behavioral data such as drinking history, smoking history, etc. Input data may further include e.g., environmental data such as air quality data, temperature data, humidity data, etc. 
     In at least one example embodiment, Block  1010  represents health data, including disease (e.g., COVID-19) case statistics, critical conditions, hospitals, medical facilities, insurance, medical equipment, and other medical resources. Blocks  1020  and  1030  represent social data including population demographics, population density, socio-economic status, housing, education, etc. 
     In at least one example embodiment, Block  1050  represents cases of the disease by population in a particular area, Block  1060  represents Mortality Risk Index of the disease, Block  1070  represents geographic weighting of the disease, and Block  1080  represents TRI of the disease. In at least one example embodiment, the accessibility of the output Blocks  1050 ,  1060 ,  1070 , and  1080  of the response engine include online access of the response engine, web browser, and mobile devices. The output may be open to public and/or licensed to specific users; output data sets may be available through the application programming interfaces, the web feature services, the web map services, and/or direct download. The response engine provides friendly user interface to visualize and query data, may be hosted on web services, and may be replicated in a local environment for additional privacy and security. 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that, for this and other processes and methods disclosed herein, the functions performed in the processes and methods may be implemented in differing order. Furthermore, the outlined steps and operations are only provided as examples, and some of the steps and operations may be optional, combined into fewer steps and operations, or expanded into additional steps and operations without detracting from the essence of the disclosed embodiments. 
     Different features, variations and multiple different embodiments have been shown and described with various details. What has been described in this application at times in terms of specific embodiments is done for illustrative purposes only and without the intent to limit or suggest that what has been conceived is only one particular embodiment or specific embodiments. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to any single specific embodiments or enumerated variations. Many modifications, variations and other embodiments will come to mind of those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be and are in fact covered by both this disclosure. It is indeed intended that the scope of this disclosure should be determined by a proper legal interpretation and construction of the disclosure, including equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon the complete disclosure present at the time of filing. 
     The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other architectures may be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality may be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated may also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated may also be viewed as being “operably coupleable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably coupleable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting.