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Coronavirus

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN HL2460, tabled on 10 March 2020

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to use artificial intelligence to analyse lung scans to help diagnose COVID-19.

Answered on

25 March 2020

There are no current plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse lung scans to diagnose COVID-19.

Most individuals who may contract the virus will not have a chest scan unless they have pre-existing conditions.

NHSX has rapidly established a data and AI team to investigate ways to use artificial intelligence and data to:

- Inform the public and decision makers by providing up to date information and allowing analysis;

- Model the spread of the disease and the impact on interventions using novel data sources;

- Track resources across the medical system to support the efficiency of the response; and

- Help communities to help themselves.