"As the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic spreads, technological applications and initiatives are multiplying in an attempt to control the situation, treat patients in an effective way and facilitate the efforts of overworked healthcare workers, while developing new, effective vaccines. This analysis examines in detail how ten different technological domains are helping the fight against this pandemic disease by means of innovative applications. It also sheds light on the main legal and regulatory challenges, but also on the key socio-ethical dilemmas that the various uses of these technologies pose when applied in a public-health emergency context such as the current one. A scan of the technological horizon in the context of Covid-19 indicates that technology in itself cannot replace or make up for other public policy measures but that it does have an increasingly critical role to play in emergency responses. Covid-19, as the first major epidemic of our century, represents an excellent opportunity for policy-makers and regulators to reflect on the legal plausibility, ethical soundness and effectiveness of the deployment of emerging technologies under time pressure. Striking the right balance will be crucial for maintaining the public's trust in evidence-based public health interventions."

Support: Digital

ISBN (PDF) : 9789282399583