A Review of Blockchain Based Solutions for Fight Against Pandemics

Abstract

Starting in late 2019, a highly infectious coronavirus disease spread rapidly to all over the world and caused many deaths worldwide. This disease known as COVID-19 caused more than 180 million cases including more than 4 million deaths. Numerous false reports, misinformation, and unsolicited fears in regards to coronavirus, are being circulated regularly since the outbreak of the COVID-19. We can solve some of the problems of the pandemic with new technologies like blockchain, therefore we can control its spread until an effective and affordable vaccine is found. Blockchain can combat pandemics by enabling early detection of outbreaks, protecting user privacy, and ensuring reliable medical supply chain during the outbreak tracking. When ill people are detected, it is possible to quickly and accurately share their diagnostic information and clinical presentation with blockchain. We can also hide patients’ identity while sharing that information. Anonymization is supported in blockchain and it’s stronger than other techniques. Moreover, blockchain is transparent so that every disease event can be kept tabs on transparently. There are a lot of blockchain solutions in literature which is proposed recently to combat COVID-19-like pandemics. In this study, we aim to give the details of blockchain and why we can use it for light against pandemics and review proposed solutions. We summarized the problems of pandemic and the benefits of blockchain technology. We highlighted the defects of solutions in literature and propose alternatives.