ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that, as of early May 2023, there have been 765,222,932 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,921,614 deaths globally. The estimated cumulative financial costs of the COVID-19 pandemic related to lost output and health reduction were more than $16 trillion, or roughly 90% of the annual GDP of the United States. The Chinese central and local governments, with cooperation from city residents as well as the entire country, completely isolated Wuhan in a 76-day lockdown beginning on January 23, 2020. The identification and DNA sequencing of the COVID-19 virus and its subsequent mutations relied heavily on digital technologies. Researchers also demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 damaged human DNA and triggered an altered DNA damage response. To reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and protect the public, the key is speed—that with which a society can find close contacts of confirmed and suspected cases and take immediate preventive measures to arrest the spread of the disease.
