International Journal of Information Technology

Vol. 26 No. 1 2020

Editorial for

International Journal for Information Technology (IJIT)
Special Issue on Information Technology in the Fight Against COVID-19

The Coronavirus pandemic exploded onto the global stage and in a short time has affected most countries and territories throughout the world. This devastatingly infectious disease is still ongoing and has forced change onto many different facets of society globally, from social interaction and public services to international travel and globalised business models. It has also united researchers to provide rapid solutions to sudden challenges across numerous disciplines, with the core goals to better understand the nature of the infection rate, and best practice on how we can engineer safer living and working environments in the ongoing pandemic.

At the forefront of this research, Artificial Intelligence and data analytics have played a key role in the understanding and modelling of the virus spread, as well as shining a light on preventative solutions for work environment safety, rapid diagnosis, remote medication and several other key areas.

This special issue of IJIT brings together research and provides a forum for information and AI technology in understanding, forecasting and modelling the COVID-19 crisis, and drawing together possible solutions to protect people at home or in their workplaces, and to safeguard the most vulnerable elements of society such as the elderly and those with other underlying conditions. Techniques such as explainable AI (XAI) and simulation through cellular automata machines are used to investigate the infection rate and patterns under different conditions, while the role of technology in the ‘new normal’ safe workplace is discussed. I hope that the work here can add to the growing knowledge about this current crisis and help to guide policymakers.

Yours Sincerely

Chunyan Miao, Chief Editor