ITIHAS tracks Covid cases using mobile network, artificial intelligence algorithm

Five months after the first Covid-19 case was reported from Gujarat, the government is largely relying on data collected via ITIHAS (IT-enabled lntegrated Hotspot Analysis System) developed by an IIT-Madras professor, for surveillance and containment strategies, apart from manual contact tracing. ITIHAS is a predictive, back-end tool to fine-tune Aarogya Setu data "strictly for surveillance purposes", according to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials. In Gujarat, it was first used in Ahmedabad from May 23, and is now expanded to Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Navsari districts, while also being used for state-wide prediction of emerging hotspots. According to the Gujarat health department, as of August 19, there are 883 emerging hotspots across the state. This tool takes data via two channels once a patient tests positive -- one from ICMR, the nodal agency which is notified of positive cases tested in labs, or via Aarogya Setu application depending on the declaration and self assessment by the user.