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Cover design: QUO Bangkok Republic of Korea – World Bank Group Partnership On COVID-19 Preparedness and Response The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic September 2023 Authors Chansoo Kim Assistant Professor and Senior Research Scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and University of Science and Technology (UST) Yongjun Cha Research Assistant at the University of Science and Technology (UST) Haneoul Cho Research Associate at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Kyu-Hwan Lee Emeritus Professor and Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) HyeSeung Wee Research Fellow at the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Sujung Kim Director at the Ministry of Science and ICT TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2. Optimal Policy Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3. Contact Tracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4. Telemedicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 5. Working From Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6. Online Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 7. Social Networking Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Malaysia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Mongolia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Fiji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 8. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ICT as a tool for responding to COVID-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ICT infrastructure and response to COVID-19 in each country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 9. Lessons Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Computational results to estimate the effectiveness of a social distancing policy during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Korea (used KIST’s results showing the utility of the ICT-based approaches) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 2: It (Interest Over Time) by t (Date). The horizontal axis represents the timeline. The vertical axis represents global interest regarding remote work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 3: It by t. The horizontal axis represents the timeline. The vertical axis represents the global interest regarding video conferencing platforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 4: Ls (Lockdown Severity) by I (IDI Values). It shows degree of lockdown in countries with high ICT infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 5: Cc (Confirmed Cases) by I. It shows total confirmed cased of countries with high ICT infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Figure 6: Cc by I and Rs (Bloomberg COVID-19 Resilience Score) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: COVID-19 responses utilizing ICT technology: Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 List of Countries That Recorded IDI (ICT Development Index) Table 2:  Rank in 2017, IDI Values, Bloomberg Resilience Score, Vaccine Doses Per Million, Confirmed Cases, Fatality Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Table 3: IDI Rank, With Contact Tracing Method of Each Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Table 4: IDI Rank, With Telemedicine System of Each Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Table 5: IDI (ICT Development Index) Rank, With Online Education Situation for Each Country . . 19 Table 6: COVID-19 Tests per 1,000 People with IDI Values and Lockdown Severity . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed people’s lifestyles, as it led to school closures, cancellation of public events, work-at-home policies, and social distancing. Countries around the globe collected data to design policies that would mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19. From the past experiences of the Great Influenza (1918), SARS (2002), and MERS (2012), global leaders were aware of the importance of international cooperation and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) for coping with the new SARS-Cov-2 virus since early 2020. This note describes how ICT helped COVID-19 management from five perspectives: (1) optimal policy development, (2) contact tracing, (3) telemedicine, (4) working from home, (5) online education, and (6) SNS (social networking services). 1. Policy Development influenced ICT and Simulations: ICT and simulations have been crucial in developing effective pandemic response strategies. Governments and public health organizations used data driven, as well as large-scale computational models to understand the virus’s spread, predict potential outbreaks, and suggest optimal containment measures. These tools helped inform policymakers on the best course of action, enabling them to take informed decisions about social distancing policies, vaccination campaigns, and resource allocation. This approach to policy development allowed for more targeted and efficient responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely be utilized in future public health crises. 2. Contact Tracing: Governments worldwide have responded to COVID-19 with various policies, including contact tracing applications, wearing masks, and social distancing. Official contact tracking applications are available in over 40 countries, each with its own characteristics. The deployment of drones, closed- circuit television (CCTV), new databases, and the purchase of data from private corporations are only a few examples of various technical measures. Furthermore, an ecosystem for response has been created by integrating alternative methods, some of which |are expected to continue to be used beyond the pandemic. 3. Telemedicine: Countries developed telemedicine or telemedicine platforms to decrease face-to-face contact between doctors and patients. With telemedicine, health care professionals were able to transform the crisis into a safer and more interactive health care service. This has also enabled reduced transportation time and cost due to less displacement of professionals and patients. 4. Working from Home: Many people worked from home during the pandemic. As a result, the demand for video conference platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet increased. Technological advancements have made it possible for individuals to work from home, which has changed the behavior of individuals and organizations. 5. Online Education: COVID-19 necessitated the transformation of the traditional classroom education system into online education. Learning through videos, voice recognition, automatic corrections, and live exams are examples of the effectiveness of online learning. However, not all countries were able to provide high quality online education, as there are students in rural areas who don’t have full access to the internet. Moreover, even many teachers were not prepared to teach their students online. 6. SNS: Individuals and business organizations worked together to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation. Facebook (known as Meta) worked closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and national health organizations to provide accurate information to people and prevent the spread of misinformation. In addition, governments took steps to prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 7 Table 1:  COVID-19 responses utilizing ICT technology: Summary Country Contact Tracing Telemedicine Online Education SNS The government’s The Ministry of the provision of a dedicated Interior and Safety (MOIS) Quality of online information portal The limited adoption introduced a contact education remains increased efforts to of telemedicine due to tracing app for visitors unsatisfactory for many protect news consumers Korea legal constraints and entering Korea to enable teachers and students from fake news. stakeholder resistance monitoring of daily despite government This transparency of indicated low acceptance symptoms during efforts to establish it information contributed self-quarantine. to the development of public trust Compliance with all Provision of high-quality applicable laws, including online education faced CQC registration, challenges during the NHS COVID-19 is mandatory for all pandemic, including (Users got information of healthcare providers, the digital divide, which UK infected patients) and individual medical affected students from practitioners, and is low socio-economic regulated by the GMC backgrounds due to (General Medical Council) limited access to ICT in the UK at home Takeda Pharmaceutical The Japanese and Kanagawa Prefecture government’s Global implemented Care for Information and Contact Confirming One, a pilot project for Governance Academic Application (COCOA) remote monitoring of Program (GIGA) program Japan (automatically recorded patients with Parkinson’s aims to provide every any close contact) disease using wearables school with adequate and virtual medication ICT resources, allowing guidance to reduce students to access digital in-person hospital visits devices by 2023 Increased telemedicine use during COVID-19, with more case discussions The DigitalPakt conducted through video program by the German Corona-Warn-App (shares consultation, and financial government aimed Germany data if users are two support for doctors and to improve internet meters from each other) psychotherapists from the infrastructure in schools NAS (National Association and equip them with of Statutory Health digital technology Insurance Physicians) for video consultations The dissatisfaction of students with the quality Barriers to telehealth of online education included lack of COVIDSafe (the was the biggest technology infrastructure, Australia government collects challenge faced by internet access, and personal information) Australianuniversities, reduced access for with 50 percent of vulnerable groups students expressing their unhappiness 8 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic Country Contact Tracing Telemedicine Online Education SNS French universities’ Apizee Health provides efforts during the TousAntiCovid real-time web video pandemic provided (provides a map of communication on all opportunities for local testing centers), kinds of mobile devices. France students to continue their MesConseilsCovid The patients can receive education and adopt new (provides advice how to an invitation to a learning practices while protect oneself) teleconsultation by SMS maintaining the quality or email of education In the US, existing telemedicine platforms Online education needs like Amwell and the Care19 App (the app to be improved, as many UPMC’s (University US anonymously gets a students lack access and of Pittsburgh Medical person’s location) were dissatisfied with Center) virtual urgent care the quality services reported a rapid increase in their use Online learning platforms The launch of a round- were created by the the-clock remote Russian Ministry of consultation service by Education for each the Moscow City Health Social Monitoring App region, with some Russia Department allowed (monitored self-isolation) providing teachers with for doctors to assess school computers and people who consulted assistance in linking them via video and audio personal computers to communication the internet Telemedicine played a critical role for diabetic The Ministry of Education patients during the developed Madrasati, pandemic, assisting Tabaud (notified if users a national learning Saudi them in managing have had contact with management system, Arabia their health status and other confirmed patients) to meet the needs of maintaining reasonable teachers and students of glucose control through all levels in the country virtual consultations for COVID-19 The Ministry of Health Teachers’ Risk communication provided healthcare unpreparedness to information was services to patients effectively integrate disseminated through MySejahtera (users can via telemedicine or technology and remote social media channels Malaysia determine which areas virtual clinics through students’ poor internet such as Facebook and have positive cases) doctoroncall.com.my and connection and bandwidth Twitter, and public bookdoc.com.my since issues due to extensive education campaigns February 2020, with a internet usage have been were launched focus on COVID-19 significant issues The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 9 Country Contact Tracing Telemedicine Online Education SNS Docpass utilizes virtual channels for communication with Supporting students in the public and requires Coronavirus-SUS rural areas with digital patients and physicians (Patient consent devices has been a Brazil to register on the app. required for COVID challenge for the Brazilian Physician registration positive result sharing) government due to evaluation includes insufficient availability an assessment of their medical license and experience Department of Disease Orca, Thailand’s top Insufficient digital devices Control (DDC)-Care tele-mental-health and internet access (monitored infected platform, facilitated Thailand in rural areas posed a individuals and high-risk access to counseling and significant challenge for clusters with private and supported mental health online education state support) professionals Golden Health is a telemedicine platform Chinese schools and that connects 1,037 Health Code (tracks institutions use MOOCs medical institutions at customer location for online education, but the provincial, municipal, through telecom data teachers find it harder China county, and township shared among China to interact with students levels, and offers Mobile, China Unicom, and provide feedback, telemedicine services to and China Telecom) resulting in lower medical institutions in engagement Henan Province and other provinces of China In 2013, a teleconnection was created between Education shifted to The Ministry of Health’s NCMCH (National Center distance learning via TV pandemic response COVID-19 ERSDEL for Maternal and Child and online classes, with focused on time-sensitive (provided privacy- Health) and CHLA enhanced capacity of information delivery protected contact (Children’s Hospital Los institutions and teachers. through daily press tracing and alerted Mongolia Angeles) to improve 4,210 hours of TV lessons releases during SARS users regularly on patient care. Pediatric were produced in 2019- 2003, and streamlined self-quarantine and surgeons used tele 2020, but 40% of rural communication via social diagnosis, making it mentoring to treat children lacked internet media, town halls, online popular worldwide) eight patients with connectivity for TV or dialogue sessions, and rare conditions from radio lessons call centers distant locations The MediVic App is designed for convenient access to medical care. It The lack of basic ICT Covi-ID App (collects supported communication infrastructure presented personal information between patients and a significant challenge South and stores location and doctors via live chat, for South Africa, as Africa infection status using self- video consultation, and students in poorer areas sovereignty identity as e-consultation, have limited access to personal information) including the smartphones and internet automated transmission of prescriptions 10 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic Country Contact Tracing Telemedicine Online Education SNS The shift to online education in Fiji disproportionately Misinformation and During the mitigation affected low-income vaccine safety doubts phase response, teams CareFIJI students and those led to a drop in regularly met via online (utilizes Bluetooth learning English as COVID-19 vaccinations, Fiji platforms, while doctors Low Energy for a second language, and aggressive risk and nurses reached contact tracing) with inadequate digital communication was patients at home resources and internet conducted to combat fake by phone quality hindering access news for both teachers and students Vietnam faced difficulties The creation of a transitioning to online PC-COVID (support government scheme education due to issues COVID-19 prevention, connecting Hanoi Medical such as inadequate The government’s offered contact tracing University Hospital to internet access for COVID-19 response Vietnam and centralized access several satellite hospitals, disadvantaged students, included warning citizens to vaccination records, commune health stations, teachers in remote areas of risks via social media travel authorizations, and and patient residences lacking digital devices, health declarations) expanded telemedicine and children needing to in Vietnam help with farming Temenin, Indonesia’s national telemedicine The Ministry of Education PeduliLindungi (aided platform, worked and Culture’s policy to Indonesian government’s with 200 hospitals transform school practice COVID-19 monitoring and health facilities, into online education Indonesia with user-submitted data offering teleradiology, faced challenges due to on confirmed cases, tele-EKG, tele-USG, limited access to online requiring participant and teleconsultations teaching and learning registration) to expand healthcare facilities services The eSanjeevani program helps medical Access to online Aarogya Setu (uses practitioners use education differs across Bluetooth and location telecommunication tools India, with students in India data to check a COVID-19 like video conferencing rural areas having limited infection database for to provide better health access due to digital close contacts) services at diverse devices such as tablets locations throughout and computers the country The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 11 1. INTRODUCTION For this note, 19 countries (Republic of Korea [Korea], the United Kingdom [UK], Japan, Germany, Australia, France, the United States [US], the Russian Federation [Russia], Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, China, Mongolia, South Africa, Fiji, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India) were selected based on their ICT Development Index (IDI) from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Bloomberg Resilience ranking (Table 2). Developed countries with a population size of 50 million or more and an income level of US$30,000 or more were selected first. Australia, with an IDI higher than 8.0, was also included despite having a population of less than 50 million, albeit with high income levels. Next, the focus was on how each country with high-level ICT infrastructure coped with COVID-19 and how each country’s resilience scored increased. Table 2 shows that countries with high IDI values recorded relatively low fatality rates. Table 2:  List of Countries That Recorded IDI (ICT Development Index) Rank in 2017, IDI Values, Bloomberg Resilience Score, Vaccine Doses Per Million, Confirmed Cases, Fatality Rate IDI Bloomberg Vaccine Lockdown Confirmed Cases Fatality Rate Rank IDI Values Resilience Doses Per Severity Per Million (as of (As of June 29, Country (ITU (ITU 2017) Score (Hong 100 (Hong (Hong et al. June 29, 2022) (Our 2022) (Our World 2017) et al. 2020) et al. 2020) 2020) World in Data 2022) in Data 2022) 2 Korea 8.85 80.9 244 14 354,221 0.13% 5 UK 8.65 74.2 234.2 19 337,352 0.88% 10 Japan 8.43 71.4 227.4 38 74,702 0.34% 12 Germany 8.39 74.2 222.7 18 337,865 0.50% 14 Australia 8.24 78.1 219.6 14 313,679 0.12% 15 France 8.24 74.7 225.9 19 459,955 0.48% 16 US 8.18 69.4 199.9 27 259,749 1.16% 45 Russia 7.07 52.2 180.1 23 125,140 2.06% 54 Saudi Arabia 6.67 79.8 190.5 25 22,099 1.16% 63 Malaysia 6.38 69.3 216.2 45 134,455 0.78% 66 Brazil 6.12 69.1 213.4 33 150,270 2.08% 79 Thailand 5.67 70.2 143.1 30 63,130 0.68% 80 China 5.60 54.7 154.5 79 623 0.59% 91 Mongolia 4.96 Not provided Not provided Not provided 273,244 0.23% 92 South Africa 4.96 64.4 61.7 30 67,238 2.55% 107 Fiji 4.49 Not provided Not provided Not provided 70,509 1.32% 108 Vietnam 4.43 74.6 235.7 26 109,440 0.4% 111 Indonesia 4.33 65.2 197 34 22,232 2.58% 134 India 3.03 69 115.5 37 30,870 1.21% 12 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic 2. OPTIMAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT To effectively respond to COVID-19, it was crucial to apply quarantine policies, which incorporated social distancing measures, such as, masking, social distancing of at least two meters, and adjusting business hours and meeting size. Optimization of these policies can be achieved through the application of computational research, simulations, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These are well known examples of ICT implementation. Korean government applied a series of simulations of various scenarios as well as policy evaluation, which combined ICT to related Research and Development for field responses. Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has been leading simulation research to interpret and respond to disease transmission using its supercomputers and AI. KIST utilized an individual-based transmission simulation toolkit based on large-sized high-performance computers to perform simulations (Figure1). This contributed significantly to optimizing early quarantine policies such as social distancing (Lim et al. 2022). The efforts of Korean government to implement effective quarantine policies using computational science and AI is well evaluated as Bloomberg reported on June 29, Figure 2022. As pointed 1. Computation out, Korea results to had ranked the estimate first in e resilience ectiveness of infectious against a social diseases (Hong distancing et al. 2020). policy Figure 1:  Computational results to estimate the effectiveness of a social distancing policy during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Korea (used KIST’s results showing the utility of the ICT-based approaches) 4500 4000 Under the distancing policy Withouth the distancing policy 3500 Number of confirmed cases Actual confirmed cases 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 21 b 23 b 25 b 27 b 29 eb 02 eb 04 ar 06 ar 08 ar 10 ar 12 ar 14 ar 16 ar 18 ar 20 ar 22 ar 24 ar 26 ar 28 ar 30 ar 01 ar 03 pr 05 pr 07 pr 09 pr pr e e Fe e -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -M -A -A -A -A -A -F -F -F -F -F 19 Period The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 13 3. CONTACT TRACING ICT and ICT infrastructure can play a critical role in supporting public health, the management of medical emergencies, online education, and global economies. For example, using digital technology to battle the pandemic has been viewed as a crucial measure, and contact tracing apps are one example of such tools. Contact tracing uses techniques to trace proximity, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), triangulation of cellular operator antennas, and Bluetooth. Contact tracing applications have been used to combat past infectious illnesses, and they have been brought into play in the present pandemic. However, although contact tracing helps locate and track down people and devices, this technology raises several privacy issues, as personal information is recorded and often made public. Table 2 below provides a snapshot of the different applications used by the countries (see Annex for details). Table 3:  IDI Rank, With Contact Tracing Method of Each Country Country IDI rank Contact Tracing The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) introduced a contact tracing app called “Safe-Quarantine Safety Protection.” All visitors entering Korea are Korea 2 required to install the app. Users must submit daily symptoms during self-quarantine. The National Health Service (NHS) rolled out NHS COVID-19. Users can be UK 5 instructed to self-isolate if the app detects that they are close to someone with the infection. Japan developed the Contact Confirming Application (COCOA), which Japan 10 automatically records close contact on Android and IOS devices using Bluetooth technology. The Corona-Warn-App is based on Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing. When Germany 12 two users are nearly two meters from each other for 15 minutes, their apps share data over BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The Australian government developed the COVIDSafe App. When a person registers for the COVIDSafe App, the Australian Department of Health collects Australia 14 personal information with the Digital Transformation Agency as the COVIDSafe IT service provider. TousAntiCovid enables simple access to other resources, providing a map of France 15 local testing centers, wait times, and “MesConseilsCovid,” which provides individualized advice on how to protect oneself and others. The Care19 App anonymously catches a person’s location and asks if they want US 16 to share their location history with the state if they test positive for the coronavirus. Moscow’s IT Department created the Social Monitoring App. The app monitors Russia 45 self-isolation and quarantine for persons being treated at home and who are limited in leaving their homes. Tabaud notifies users if they have had contact with others confirmed to be Saudi Arabia 54 infected with COVID-19. 14 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic Country IDI rank Contact Tracing MySejahtera allows users to determine which areas have positive Malaysia 63 cases, and whether they have come into contact with a person who has tested positive. The Coronavirus-Unified Health System (Coronavirus-SUS) can only work Brazil 66 properly if the patient who tested positive for COVID agrees to share that result. The Department of Disease Control (DDC)-Care monitors and tracks individuals Thailand 79 who have been infected or are classified as being in a “high-risk cluster,” with support from private entities and state enterprises. China created a nationwide telecom data analysis platform called “Health Code.” All three major Chinese telecommunications companies (China Mobile, China 80 China Unicom, and China Telecom) use this system. They may share information about their customers’ mobile phone whereabouts during the last 15 or 30 days. COVID-19 ERSDEL (One of Mongolia’s contact tracing apps) app users receive regular alerts and details regarding self-quarantine and diagnosing. Its excellent Mongolia 91 privacy protection with contact tracing makes it popular all over the world. COVID-19 ERSDEL app users receive regular alerts and details regarding self- quarantine and diagnosis. The App “Covi-ID” is a voluntary app that uses Bluetooth and geolocation to collect a data subject’s personal information. In addition, the data subject’s South Africa 92 location and infection status will be kept on their phone, using a self- sovereignty identity as their personal information. The CareFIJI App was developed to operate on Android and iOS operating Fiji 107 systems. It makes use of the Bluetooth Low Energy technology to register encounters between two devices that can be used for contact tracing. The Vietnamese government stepped in with tremendous resolve to develop solutions and software for health care to support the prevention of the Vietnam 108 COVID-19 pandemic. PC-COVID enables contact tracing and offers vaccination records, travel authorizations, and health declarations all in one place. PeduliLindungi enables users to submit data about COVID-19 in their areas to assist the Indonesian government in monitoring confirmed cases. Users Indonesia 111 must register as participants, share their travel destinations, and report any COVID-19 exposures. Aarogya Setu scans a database of reported instances of infection to determine India 134 whether users have been close to someone with COVID-19, using Bluetooth and location data from their phone. 4. TELEMEDICINE Telemedicine refers to health services and information delivered or enhanced by internet-related technologies. For example, when COVID-19 cases started to increase worldwide, many people went to hospitals to get tested, increasing their risk of contagion. With telemedicine, health care professionals have transformed the crisis into a safer and more interactive health care experience that has allowed them to reduce transportation time and cost due to less displacement of professionals and patients (Elhadi et al. 2021). Table 3 summarizes the telemedicine platforms used by different countries, together with their limitations (see Annex for details). The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 15 Table 4:  IDI Rank, With Telemedicine System of Each Country Country IDI rank Telemedicine Korea introduced telemedicine in 1988, but it has yet to be formally accepted owing to stakeholders’ resistance and legal restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered fundamental changes in every country’s health care services system. However, the Korean health care system is Korea 2 still not being prepared to accept telehealth services. The Korean government temporarily applied patient-doctor telemedicine to the entire population of Korea in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of telemedicine users ceased to increase, indicating patients’ stagnant interest in non-face-to-face care and doctors’ continuing resistance to government policy. All health care providers are subject to the same restrictions as in-person providers, as they are all required to register with the CQC (Care Quality Commission) and demonstrate that they UK 5 comply with all applicable laws. The General Medical Council (GMC) regulates individual medical practitioners. All doctors who practice medicine in the United Kingdom must be registered with the GMC and follow specific GMC-established standards for proper medical practice. Takeda Pharmaceutical and Kanagawa Prefecture implemented Care for One, a pilot project for remote monitoring of patients having Parkinson’s disease. Aiming to reduce the burden of health Japan 10 management and in-person hospital visits, the organizations developed an integrated platform that monitors patients with wearables, providing virtual medication guidance and prescribed drug delivery. The use of telemedicine has increased due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and case conferences and case discussions are now more frequently conducted through video consultation. In addition, the Germany 12 National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (NAS) provides financial support for doctors and psychotherapists who perform video consultations. There are barriers to telehealth uptake in Australia, including a lack of technological infrastructure Australia 14 and internet access and a risk that access will be reduced for vulnerable population groups. Another barrier to using telehealth is the limitations inherent in performing physical examinations remotely. After the first lockdown in 2020, teleconsultations increased dramatically. Apizee Health provides France 15 real-time web video communication on all kinds of mobile devices. The patients can receive an invitation to the teleconsultation by SMS or email. In the US, existing telemedicine platforms like Amwell and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) virtual urgent care services have reported a rapid increase in their use. US 16 A recent poll found that 23 percent of adults have used telehealth services in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Moscow City Health Department launched an around-the-clock remote consultation service Russia 45 via video and audio communication. Doctors assess people who apply to them according to established criteria and assist patients with COVID-19. During the pandemic, COVID-19 led doctors and patients to move to virtual consultations. Saudi Arabia 54 Telemedicine played a critical role for diabetic patients, assisting them in managing their health status and maintaining reasonable glucose control. Since February 2020, with a focus on COVID-19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has continued to Malaysia 63 deliver health care services to ordinary patients and health care service users via telemedicine or virtual clinics via doctoroncall.com.my and bookdoc.com.my. Docpass uses virtual channels to communicate with the public. For patients and physicians to join, they need to download the app and register. Once patients register, they can activate the app. Brazil 66 Registration validation for physicians usually takes five days, for evaluation of their medical license, resumé, diploma, specialization, and experience as a doctor. Orca, Thailand’s top tele-mental-health platform, breaks down logistical barriers to accessing Thailand 79 counseling while helping to support the careers of dedicated mental health professionals. 16 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic Country IDI rank Telemedicine Golden Health is designed to be compatible with multiple network access methods. It connects 1,037 medical institutions at the provincial, municipal, county, and township levels. In addition, China 80 it provides telemedicine services to medical institutions in Henan Province and other provinces of China. A global teleconnection between the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) was created in 2013 with assistance from the Jennifer Lopez Foundation to improve patient care. Telementoring is employed in pediatric surgery for unusual, Mongolia 91 technically demanding patients or in locations with COVID-19 and other pandemics. Pediatric surgeons telementored eight patients with intestinal intussusception, congenital duodenal atresia, anal atresia, congenital inguinal hernia, or congenital abdominal wall abnormalities from distant places. Mongolia has effectively adopted telemedicine in many health areas over the last 20 years. The MediVic App supports communication between patients and doctors via live chat, video South Africa 92 consultation, and e-consultation features, including the automated transmission of prescriptions. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) presently needs greater telehealth and telemedicine capability. As part of the mitigation phase response, teams meet and chat regularly Fiji 107 via Zoom, Viber, and other platforms. Doctors and nurses reach patients (at home) by phone, and information networks allow them to follow patient health status remotely—the ministry’s most excellent mitigating action yet. The government has created a scheme connecting Hanoi Medical University Hospital to several satellite hospitals, commune health stations, and patient residences. The expansion of Vietnam 108 telemedicine in Vietnam is anticipated to enhance health conditions in neglected regions and open the road for the use of telemedicine by hospitals. Temenin is Indonesia’s national telemedicine platform, offering teleradiology, tele- electrocardiography (tele-EKG), tele-ultrasonography (tele-USG), and teleconsultations, and working Indonesia 111 with 200 hospitals and health facilities. Temenin is expected to help expand health care services, especially in remote regions without physical facilities. eSanjeevani helps medical practitioners use telecommunication tools like video conferencing to provide better health services at diverse locations throughout the country. The program permits India 134 two types of telehealth services: doctor-to-doctor, sometimes referred to as eSanjeevani, and patient-to-doctor, also known as the eSanjeevani OPD. 5. WORKING FROM HOME COVID-19 has affected the economies of individuals in each country. Due to aggressive social distancing COVID-19 measures, many workers were asked to work from home. Business organizations used video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to keep their employees engaged. Despite business organizations’ efforts to follow the government COVID-19 relief policies and keep their employees motivated, there are both positive and negative aspects of working from home. On the positive side, employees could save on commuting and spend more time on their work and family. The negative side of working from home is the risk to productivity, and the double-burden of both work and childcare for parents, particularly working women. Also, telecommuting has often resulted in employees working longer hours. Despite the advantages and disadvantages of online video conferencing platforms, they effectively reduce physical contact, contributing to lower confirmed cases. Figures 2 and 3 show Google trends of video conferencing platforms and remote work. After February 2020, the popularity of both video conferencing platforms and remote work reached its highest popularity. The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 17 Figure 2. It (interest over tme) by 5 (Date). Figure 2:  It (Interest Over Time) by t (Date). The horizontal axis represents the timeline. The vertical axis represents global interest regarding remote work. 100 90 Remote Work 80 70 It (interest over time) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Feb-19 May-19 Aug-19 Nov-19 Feb-20 May-20 Aug-20 Nov-20 t (date) Figure 3. It by t. The hotizontal axis represents the timeline. Figure 3:  It by t. The horizontal axis represents the timeline. The vertical axis represents the global interest regarding video conferencing platforms. 100 90 Zoom 80 Microsoft Teams 70 It (interest over time) Google Meet 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Feb-19 May-19 Aug-19 Nov-19 Feb-20 May-20 Aug-20 Nov-20 t (date) As we can see, at this point, the ratio of queries for the specific search term to the total number of searches conducted in the region was the highest it had ever been during that period. Of course, these figures do not mean that people actually installed or used video conferencing platforms. Instead, it has raised people’s interest in the potential of transforming the traditional workplace culture into a remote-work one. 18 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic 6. ONLINE EDUCATION Different countries have had to resort to online education at different times during the pandemic. The use of technology in the educational field enabled its use during the pandemic. Through video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet, students and teachers can interact during a teaching session. Many countries have been putting extra effort into online education during the pandemic by adding more budget and supporting technologies like tablet PCs and internet infrastructure. However, not all countries succeeded. Some countries found it difficult to reach rural areas with low internet infrastructure. Furthermore, students with low socioeconomic backgrounds did not have digital devices for obtaining online education. The experience of different countries with online education is summarized below (see Annex for details). Table 5:  IDI (ICT Development Index) Rank, With Online Education Situation for Each Country Country IDI rank Online Education Despite the Korean government’s effort to establish online education, many teachers and students Korea 2 are still looking for a better quality of education. Many students and teachers are not satisfied with the quality of online education. The UK faced the same situation as Korea did during the pandemic. The UK has difficulty providing high-quality online education compared to face-to-face teaching. The other issue was the digital UK 5 divide. The digital divide means unequal access to digital technology, including tablets, laptops, and the internet. Students from low socio-economic backgrounds have less opportunity to experience online education due to limited access to ICT at home. The Japanese government initiated a Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) program before the pandemic. The GIGA’s primary goal is to provide every school with adequate ICT resources Japan 10 so all students can access digital devices by 2023. The GIGA is expected to help students in poor ICT-environment schools where four to five students, on average, share one computer. However, not many teachers are prepared to provide quality of online education. The German government started a program called Digital Pakt to improve the internet infrastructure in schools. With Digital Pakt, the German government wants to ensure that schools are better Germany 12 equipped with digital technology. However, many schools in Germany still need digital devices to educate all students. The biggest challenge in Australian universities is that most students are not satisfied with the Australia 14 quality of online education. According to an article in The Guardian, 50 percent of students were unhappy with their online education. During the pandemic, French universities provided students with opportunities to continue their France 15 education during the pandemic. With these efforts, students can adopt new learning practices and help to maintain the quality of education. The education system needs more than just providing every professor with a Zoom account and US 16 allowing instruction to follow its natural path for the system to work well, because not all students have access to online courses. Many students are not satisfied with the quality of online classes. The Russian Ministry of Education created online learning platforms for each region. Some regions gave teachers school computers and helped them link personal computers to the internet so they Russia 45 could teach from home. Senior students from teaching institutions assisted teachers unfamiliar with computer technology in acquiring online learning essentials. The Ministry of Education (MoE) also developed a national learning management system (LMS) called Madrasati for all levels of students in the country. The Madrasati system is an integrated Saudi Arabia 54 system designed to meet the needs of teachers and students. Madrasati provides synchronous and asynchronous teaching functionality to help students and teachers engage in class. The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 19 Country IDI rank Online Education Since the pandemic began, teachers are not fully prepared to integrate technology effectively. Malaysia 63 Moreover, students in remote locations have poor internet connection and significant bandwidth issues owing to extensive internet usage. The Brazilian government tried to support students in rural areas, but most students still don’t have Brazil 66 digital devices and teachers are not prepared. The biggest issue is that many students in rural areas need more digital devices and internet access to study online. Low-income families have an extra financial burden in supporting their Thailand 79 children to continue their education. Teachers also need to gain digital literacy skills to teach their students online. The Chinese Ministry of Education requested that schools and higher education institutions teach students with high-quality online programs via online platforms such as Massive Open Online China 80 Courses (MOOCs). Teachers say the biggest drawback of online education is that it takes more work to interact with students and share feedback. Also, the level of engagement and communication could be a lot higher. The education sector has been converted to distance learning via TV courses and online classes, and the capacity of both educational institutions and teachers has been enhanced. Four thousand, two hundred and ten (4,210) hours of TV lessons were produced for preschools, regular schools, Mongolia 91 and schools for students with special needs during the second semester of the 2019–2020 school year. However, approximately 40 percent of children in rural areas did not receive TV or radio lessons due to the lack of internet connectivity. Students in poorer areas don’t have smartphones, internet, or Wi-Fi access, or the skills to use South Africa 92 online resources. This makes it harder for them to use online learning platforms to their advantage. Given the situation, the biggest challenge for South Africa is its lack of basic ICT infrastructure. Changes in the educational system have had a disproportionate impact on low-income students and those learning English as a second language. The educational institutions in Fiji tried to change their education system to online education. Remote learning has replaced in-person instruction, Fiji 107 and worksheets have been created for each level. However, teachers and students have difficulties accessing online education due to the low quality of the internet connection and insufficient digital devices. Despite the Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) efforts to ease the transition to online education, many children from disadvantaged backgrounds had difficulties accessing the internet and participating in online classes. In addition, many children had to help their parents farm in Vietnam 108 rural areas. Teachers in remote areas didn’t have access to the internet and digital devices before the pandemic. Those issues indicate that the Vietnamese government was not ready to change its education system to online education. The Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) developed a policy of transforming school practice into online education. However, although millions of students study at home and rely on online Indonesia 111 education, most don’t have access to online teaching and learning facilities. Moreover, most students need help participating in online education due to unequal technology and internet connectivity access. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit India, school closures led education systems to move to online education using digital devices such as tablets and computers. However, access to education technology differs across India. Students in high-income countries have more opportunities India 134 to access online education than those in low-income countries. According to the World Bank’s United Nations Population Division’s World Urbanization Prospects, 2021, 65 percent of the Indian population lives in rural areas where ICT infrastructure is relatively low. 20 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic 7. SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICES During the pandemic, many countries have used social media to inform and communicate with the public. In particular, the accessibility and promptness of social media have contributed to increasing the transparency of the government and promoting social campaigns against the pandemic. On the other hand, the use of social media has also raised the concern of misinformation and has resulted in vaccine hesitancy. Korea The WHO has defined an infodemic as a condition of too much information, including false or misleading information, during an outbreak. There were concerns raised during the pandemic about infodemics in the Republic of Korea. The government provided a dedicated information portal and increased efforts to protect news consumers from fake news. Transparency of information has contributed to the development of public trust. The vast majority of Korean individuals were attentive to the government’s daily news briefing, according to a stratified test of 1,000 adults done in April 2020 (79.3 percent). With the government’s effort to spread correct information regarding COVID-19, Korean citizens have been complying with government interventions, including nonpharmaceutical interventions and restrictions on public gatherings, comparatively well. This reflects the public’s perception of the government’s response to the pandemic. Malaysia Social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter, were used extensively to disseminate risk communication information. Public education and awareness raising campaigns were implemented, and a mobile messaging service was used to deliver short messages on warnings and recommendations to mobile phone users—for instance, “let’s wear masks,” “let’s wash our hands,” “let’s keep distance,” “let’s protect together,” and other guidance. In addition, the State Emergency Commission (SEC) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) distributed information, guidelines, and recommendations on mask use, distance keeping, and hand hygiene through various media, social media, and public locations. Mongolia During the SARS 2003 pandemic, the MOH learned to focus on delivering time-sensitive information and involving data rapidly via daily press releases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MOH streamlined communication using social media to remain connected and accessible to the public. Town halls, online dialogue sessions, call centers, and hotlines were also set up and organized to disclose information to the public. In addition, the MOH improved public trust by conducting periodic public sentiment analyses and opening communication channels with the public through social media. Fiji As COVID-19 immunization campaigns rolled out, mainstream and social media reported on “anti-vaxxer” views and vaccine safety doubts, resulting in a drop in vaccinations. In addition, the public steadily became more hesitant about being vaccinated due to the ease of access to all information (and disinformation) online. In order to stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation regarding the vaccines, the government used social media platforms such as Viber, Facebook, and Gmail to communicate with HCWs (health care workers). During the second wave of COVID-19, aggressive risk communication was conducted to combat vaccine hesitancy using social media platforms and panel discussions. Vietnam The Vietnamese government warned citizens of the risks of COVID-19 even before the first case was reported, using social media and texting people directly. The government frequently communicated with the public through Zalo (a local Vietnamese app). The government also used creative measures to reduce the risk of infection, including a pop song turned into a hand-washing PSA and a mobile app to provide citizens with real- time information on COVID-19. In April 2020, Vietnam passed a decree allowing authorities to fine people who share false, untruthful, distorted, or defamatory information on social media. The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 21 8. CONCLUSION In many countries, the use of ICT proved to be effective in preparation and response to the pandemic in every aspect; not only has it accelerated the pandemic response in areas such as testing and contact tracing, but also it has facilitated communications and the delivery of education services. The analyses show that the level of ICT development is correlated with the severity of lockdowns, confirmed cases, and resilience to COVID-19. ICT as a tool for responding to COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated countries’ health care capabilities and ability to respond to infectious diseases., Although responses from various developed countries, including Korea, the UK, Germany, France the US, and Japan, were different, it was common to use ICT to collect information and quickly implement quarantine policies based on it. As a representative example, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center in the United States has been updating and disclosing the number of coronavirus infections, related policies, and trends in coronavirus infections—every day at the start of the pandemic and later with decreasing frequency. COVID-19-related data worldwide is presented in a single dashboard, providing analysis information, the trend of infected people, and the level of social isolation policies. It was possible to collect and disclose such information because ICT was used. Korea responded effectively and quickly to COVID-19 because it prepared for infectious diseases during the MERS and SARS outbreaks in the past, and it has a well-developed ICT system. The Epidemic Intelligence Support System (EISS) led the response to the movement of confirmed patients and close contacts, where timeliness is the most important factor, through accurate information delivery and rapid sharing. Some other countries took considerable time to introduce location-tracking apps. ICT infrastructure and response to COVID-19 in each country Figure 4. Ls (Lockdown Severity) by I (IDI Values) Figure 4:  Ls (Lockdown Severity) by I (IDI Values). It shows degree of lockdown in countries with high ICT infrastructure. 90 China 80 70 Ls (Lockdown Security) 60 50 Saudi Arabia India Japan 40 Brazil US Germany 30 Indonesia Thailand 20 South Russia France Africa South Korea 10 Australia UK 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I (IDI Values) 22 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic Figure 5. Attitudes to COVID-19 Vaccinations in High-Income Countries... Figure 5:  Cc (Confirmed Cases) by I. It shows total confirmed cased of countries with high ICT infrastructure. 500,000 France 450,000 400,000 South Korea Germany Cc (Confirmed Cases) 350,000 Mongolia Australia UK 300,000 250,000 Brazil US 200,000 South Africa 150,000 Vietnam Malaysia Fiji 100,000 Indonesia Russia India Thailand Japan 50,000 China Saudi Arabia 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I (IDI Values) During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that each country was in a different stage of social distancing. For example, China implemented a very high level of social quarantine (also called lockdown severity), whereas the US and Japan responded with a low level. Figure 4 shows at a glance that the direction of policies pursued by each country is different, as is the level of ICT infrastructure. The horizontal and vertical axes represent the ICT development index and the lockdown severity, respectively. The lockdown severity is a composite measure based on nine response indicators, including school closures, workplace closures, travel bands, and other factors. As shown in Figure 4, the higher the IDI ranking of countries with developed ICT infrastructure, the lower the lockdown severity. Moreover, those countries in the bottom right corner have lower fatality rates and scored higher resilience scores, according to Table 1. Table 6:  COVID-19 Tests per 1,000 People with IDI Values and Lockdown Severity COVID-19 tests per 1,000 people IDI Values Lockdown Severity Country (cumulative) (Our World in Data 2022) (ITU 2017) (Hong et al 2020) UK 5,566 8.65 11 Korea 823 8.85 14 Australia 1,992 8.24 14 Germany 1,093 8.39 18 France 2,708 8.24 19 Russia 1,623 7.07 23 Saudi Arabia 901 6.67 25 US 2,086 8.18 27 Thailand 241 5.67 30 South Africa 348 4.96 30 Brazil 305 6.12 33 Indonesia 147 4.33 34 India 471 3.03 37 Japan 220 8.43 38 China Not provided 5.60 79 Note: Mongolia, Malaysia, Fiji, and Vietnam are not on the Table 5 because they didn’t provide data on COVID-19 tests. The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 23 Figure 5 shows that the higher the IDI values, the higher the confirmed cases. As shown in Figure 4, countries with high ICT values implemented low lockdown severity, while China and India, which have relatively lower ICT values, implemented high lockdown severity. Table 5 also shows that countries that implemented low lockdown severity conducted relatively many COVID-19 tests. In addition, it shows that countries Figure 5. high with ICT values Attitudes implemented to COVID-19 low lockdownin Vaccinations severity and actively High-Income conducted COVID-19 tests. Countries... Figure 6:  Cc by I and Rs (Bloomberg COVID-19 Resilience Score) 100 Rs (Bloomberg COVID-19 Resilience Score) South Korea Malaysia 90 80 UK Brazil 70 Japan Thailand 60 Germany China 50 40 Australia South Africa 30 France Vietnam 20 US Indonesia 10 0 Russia India 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Saudi Arabia I (IDI Values) Note: Mongolia and Fiji are not on the bubble charts because the Bloomberg Resilience ranking didn’t provide data on them. Figure 6 shows the IDI values and the COVID-19 resilience scores on the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively, and the confirmed cases are displayed as bubbles. There is a high number of confirmed cases in countries with high ICT values and a high COVID-19 resilience score. As shown in Table 5, this seems to be due to the fact that countries with high ICT values have conducted many COVID-19 tests. It can be seen 9. that many developed countries have conducted more COVID-19 tests than developing countries. LESSONS LEARNED • Various methods such as contact tracing, online education, and telemedicine using ICT were implemented in many countries. However, in order to implement these government policies effectively, good user manuals are necessary. • Countries with a high level of ICT infrastructure could rapidly transform traditional education systems into online systems and implement telemedicine, as they had the technologies and budgets to provide tablet PCs and other digital devices. • In South Africa, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mongolia, Fiji, Vietnam, China, and Thailand, countries with relatively low IDI values, building and improving ICT infrastructure should be a top priority to make the ICT policies effective. • In addition to the online education and telemedicine policies using ICT, policy makers should consider how many people in rural areas with low income can obtain access to the services. • Often most of the ICT infrastructure is concentrated in big cities. Governments should endeavor to increase the accessibility of remote areas to ICT infrastructure. • In the case of online education, the lack of digital literacy is also a big issue. Therefore, governments should provide guidelines for teachers to use technology to deliver quality education. • Governments in each country should ensure clarity by delivering correct information regarding COVID-19 and the proper use of PPE through the media so that people are not exposed to misinformation and disinformation. • Data privacy was a big issue when governments implemented contact tracing apps. People in some countries put the public interests first in order to deal with COVID-19. 24 | The Role of ICT During the COVID-19 Pandemic REFERENCES “2017 Global ICT Development Index.” ITU, 2017, https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/idi/2017/index.html. Hong, Jinshan, et al. 2022. “The Best and Worst Places to Be as World Enters Next Covid Phase.” Bloomberg, Updated June 2022. 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