Australia trials ‘virtual hospital’ for virus patients

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Australia has started a trial of a “virtual hospital” that allows people with mild coronavirus symptoms to reach out to doctors from home.

The Armidale Private Hospital in New South Wales is giving patients who show moderate COVID-19 symptoms a device to monitor their vital signs, local TV channel SevenNews reported on Wednesday.

Doctors, aided by artificial intelligence programs, will check on the patients online and can ask them to come back to the hospital if their condition worsens.

"It is a simple device worn on the wrist that transmits vital signs of heart and lung function to a virtual ward at a hospital where real-time monitoring can be reviewed by clinicians," said Professor Rod McClure of the University of New England.

He said the project has started with 200 patients and they will have regular online checkups with doctors.

McClure, a public health expert, said he had been working on the idea for years and its trial was expedited due to COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Wednesday, Australia had 6,440 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 63 deaths and 2,186 recoveries.

Authorities have imposed strict measures to stem the spread of the virus, including the closure of borders for foreigners.

- First quarantine violator jailed

A 35-year-old man became Australia’s first person to be jailed for violating quarantine rules.

Jonathan David was placed in isolation at a hotel when he reached Perth from Victoria on March 27, according to a report by Sydney Morning Herald.

On Wednesday, he was convicted of sneaking out of the hotel on April 4 and April 5 to meet his girlfriend and buy food.

"You [David] were more than foolish, your actions were selfish in the extreme, your actions were reckless in that you paid no attention to the potential risk you were exposing the community to," the report quoted Magistrate Elaine Campione as saying during the hearing.

"You chose to roll the dice with other people’s lives and that is breathtakingly arrogant."

David was fined 2,000 Australian dollars (over 8,680 Turkish liras) and will spend one month behind bars.