BlueDot

Live info session: New releases & impacts to your workflow

Lauren Charbon — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 16:27:16 +0000

BlueDot is making significant enhancements to our global disease activity intelligence. Improvements include the ability to query global activity for all diseases in a single call, enhancements to our live feed of articles in the “Disease Newsfeed” API, and more!

Learn more about how best to adopt and drive value from these enhancements by joining BlueDot’s Jennifer Miniota, VP of Client Success, Sakshi Shetty, Product Manager, and Carmen Huber, Product Manager, in an upcoming live information session. For your convenience, we are hosting Live Information Sessions on February 14, 2024, and February 15, 2024, where we will cover the same material. Register today to learn about the new and improved workflows possible!

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2024 Respiratory trends: Navigating the threat of RSV, influenza, and COVID-19

Sumaan Khan — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:35:27 +0000

As we entered the new year, concerns echoed from health officials about the growing triple threat: the combined surge of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded the alarm with a notable uptick in emergency room visits attributed to COVID-19 and influenza. At the same time, RSV infections remain a significant threat, especially to vulnerable groups such as infants and the elderly.

As hospital visits rise, how concerned should we be?

Understanding the latest respiratory disease trends is critical to safeguarding public health.

Watch Andrea Thomas, PhD, DVM, Head of Epidemiology, Anindita Marwah, MPH, Sr. Epidemiologist, and Josephine De Leon, MMASc, Enablement Specialist in Epidemiology, as they navigated the respiratory season and provided insights on:

Current respiratory patterns and predictions for the upcoming season
The trends that pose the greatest risk and deserve your focus
The role COVID-19 is playing and variants of concern
Key risk factors and strategies for an optimized approach

Take this opportunity to stay ahead of emerging respiratory disease trends for 2024. Fill out the form to access the webinar recording.

Want to learn more? Get in touch with our experts to discover how BlueDot can help your organization stay ahead of potential risks during this season and beyond.

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BlueDot signs Canada’s voluntary AI code of conduct

Jenny Cade — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 17:33:08 +0000

TORONTO, September 29, 2023 — BlueDot Inc., is pleased to announce it placed No. 25 on the 2023 Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies.

Canada’s Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. BlueDot earned its spot with three-year growth of 1519%.

BlueDot, a global leader in infectious disease intelligence, uses the combined power of human expertise and artificial intelligence to detect, assess, and respond to outbreaks around the world. It has established itself as an integral tool in combating infectious disease for enterprises, public health, pharmaceutical, and life sciences organizations worldwide.

“It is an incredible honour to receive this award, as it reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering scientific and technological innovations to public and private sector markets over the past decade,” said Dr. Kamran Khan, CEO and founder of BlueDot. “As we’ve just learned firsthand, infectious diseases present a growing threat to the whole of society, which means everyone needs to know how to protect themselves, which in turn protects the rest of us. And it is our core belief that timely, unbiased, scientifically-valid intelligence is the basis for driving well-coordinated, cross-sectoral actions that protect lives and livelihoods not just in Canada but around the world.”

Canada’s Top Growing Companies is an editorial ranking that was launched in 2019. It aims to bring the accomplishments of innovative businesses in Canada to the forefront. In order to qualify for this voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process and fulfill requirements. In total, 425 companies earned a spot on this year’s ranking.

The full list of 2023 winners along with editorial coverage is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazine. The list is out now and online here.

“Canada’s Top Growing Companies acknowledges the drive and ingenuity displayed by Canadian business,” says Dawn Calleja, Editor of Report on Business magazine. “This year’s ranking serves as an inspiration for future business owners.”

“This year’s Report on Business magazine’s list of Top Growing Companies shows how innovative ideas always rise to the top, perhaps even more so in times of uncertainty,” says Andrew Saunders, CEO of The Globe and Mail. “The Globe and Mail congratulates this year’s winners for meeting and surpassing those economic challenges.”

About The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is Canada’s foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With our award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.2 million readers every week in our print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2.7 million readers in print and digital every issue. Our investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family.

About BlueDot 
BlueDot’s intelligence platform empowers public and private sector organizations to rapidly identify, understand, and effectively respond to global infectious disease threats. Combining human and artificial intelligence to track the activity of hundreds of infectious diseases and syndromes worldwide, it applies academic data science and deep subject matter expertise to anticipate global spread and impact. BlueDot ensures clients immediately know when important infectious disease threats emerge anywhere in the world, helps them focus on those that matter most to their organization, and empowers them to act swiftly and confidently when needed. Founded in 2013 and used by the City of Chicago, Taiwan CDC, Air Canada and more, BlueDot helps clients make critical decisions with clarity and confidence. Learn more at www.bluedot.global.  

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ILI Pulse: What do we know about emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and global COVID-19 activity?

Sumaan Khan — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:55:47 +0000

In this free ILI Pulse report, we contextualize the evolving landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 virus since the Omicron variant’s emergence in late 2021. This emergence has led to a rapid proliferation of new variants, significantly impacting global COVID-19 activity. These variants, resulting from extensive viral spread and mutations, demonstrate the virus’s dynamic nature. The Omicron variant has evolved into over 1800 sublineages. As the number of these sublineages and mutations grows, tracking the most impactful ones becomes increasingly complex.

As of November 9, 2023, the XBB lineage is the most prevalent, representing over 70% of global SARS-CoV-2 cases. This prevalence highlights the XBB lineage’s major role in the current COVID-19 landscape. Additionally, other lineages outside the XBB group are showing notable growth. Their evolution suggests potential benefits in their evolutionary pathways, possibly affecting future global COVID-19 activity significantly.

Our comprehensive report examines the Omicron variant’s global impact, offering detailed insights into its regional spread. It also spotlights three specific non-XBB SARS-CoV-2 variants requiring close monitoring. These variants may critically influence the future dynamics of COVID-19 spread, necessitating continued vigilance and research.

This ILI Pulse report is vital for grasping the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants’ complex interactions and their effect on global COVID-19 activity. Stay informed in this ongoing battle against the virus with our thorough analysis. Download this free edition of our ILI Pulse reports. Keep abreast of the latest SARS-CoV-2 variants and their role in global COVID-19 activity.

Interested in learning more about BlueDot’s ILI Pulse reports? Click here to connect with our experts who are happy to help you further.

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How ASEAN BVC leverages BlueDot for disease intelligence

Sumaan Khan — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:19:14 +0000

BlueDot and ASEAN: Testimonial

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region has faced significant health challenges. The ongoing collaboration between the ASEAN Biodiaspora Virtual Center (ASEAN BVC) and BlueDot has been transformative. In this testimonial, we look at BlueDot’s impact within ASEAN BVC, examining the challenges, solutions, and benefits for the region.

The Challenge: Maintaining Public Trust in Health Systems

The primary challenges faced by ASEAN BVC were maintaining public trust in healthcare systems and government institutions. This issue was compounded by the evolving landscape of infectious diseases. There was an urgent need for precise, timely information. This included analysis on disease impact, severity, transmission rates, population vulnerability, and healthcare resource availability. While research and manual efforts could provide accurate data, often times this was at odds with how quickly the information could be disseminated and realized. There needed to be a better way to gather, assess, analyze, and distribute critical healthcare information.

Solution

The ASEAN Biodiaspora Virtual Center collaborated with BlueDot. Together, they developed a credible and trustworthy solution. It encompassed essential data analytics and reporting capabilities. The platform provided key insights into disease patterns and their potential impacts. These insights were critical for early warnings about emerging infectious diseases, especially those with pandemic potential.

“BlueDot has been a quick and reliable source of data, and it has given us credibility as an epidemic intelligence hub within ASEAN region.” – Dr. Socorro Lupisan, Program Manager at ASEAN BVC

Benefits to ASEAN BVC

Enhanced Public Trust: BlueDot’s reliable and accurate reporting reinforced public confidence in healthcare systems and government institutions.
Informed Decision-Making: BlueDot’s data was crucial in situation and risk assessment reports, and disease alerts. This facilitated informed decision-making processes.
Early Warning Response: The ability to track disease trends and provide early warnings has been crucial in tackling diseases with pandemic potential.
Increased Credibility: ASEAN BVC’s status as an epidemic intelligence hub has been bolstered, thanks to the accurate and timely reports generated by BlueDot.
Effective Biothreat Intelligence: Recommend BlueDot to the public health sector due to its adept use of artificial intelligence in data collection, validation, and early detection/prediction of biothreats.
Return on Investment (ROI): The tangible ROI lies in the credibility ASEAN BVC gained as a virtual center producing region-specific reports, impacting public health directly.

Our partners at ASEAN BVC affirm that BlueDot has been a quick and dependable data source. It has elevated their status as an epidemic intelligence hub. This collaboration has had a significant impact on public health management in the region.
Click here for more on how BlueDot’s capabilities support public health.

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Unlocking the potential of wastewater data in infectious disease surveillance

Sumaan Khan — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 22:44:31 +0000

In the wake of a staggering winter where nearly 40%¹ of U.S. households were confronted with either COVID-19, influenza, or RSV, the importance of early detection and robust monitoring systems cannot be overstated. Join us for an illuminating exploration into the potential of wastewater data in infectious disease surveillance. Discover how wastewater, when integrated with other key data sources and models, can serve as a leading indicator of community-level respiratory disease trends and proactively shape our response strategies.

This exclusive webinar is tailored for Public Health and Pharma Leaders, featuring Alexandria (Ali) Boehm, PhD, principal investigator at WastewaterSCAN, a national program measuring infectious disease targets in wastewater solids across the United States. Ali joined BlueDot’s Head of Epidemiology, Andrea Thomas, PhD, and Data Scientist, Lauren McKenzie. Together, they unveiled the real-time applications of wastewater surveillance, its pivotal role in now-casting the influenza season, and where it will be used next.

In this webinar you’ll learn about:

How wastewater surveillance can be used to track respiratory illness, including Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 and how it compares with more traditional disease surveillance.
Wastewater Surveillance for Comprehensive Pathogen Insight – Explore the statistically significant correlation between influenza wastewater data and community-level incidence, as well as the dynamic lead-time it provides over indicator-based surveillance data. Learn about wastewater surveillance of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), COVID-19 and other pathogens.
Practical Applications and Differentiators – Understand the real-time nature of wastewater data and its application in now-casting the influenza season, as well as pharma use cases that can support informed product planning and stocking strategies, and the unique differentiator (a holistic approach combining multiple models and data sources).

View the recording for an insightful journey into the intersection of wastewater data and public health, offering actionable insights and a roadmap for better surveillance. Fill out the form to access the recording directly.

^{1 KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: January 2023}

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Combatting mosquito-borne diseases with AI: Innovations in global health intelligence

Sumaan Khan — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:46:43 +0000

Enjoy a ground-breaking webinar where we delved deep into the dynamic landscape of mosquito-borne diseases, and explored the latest trends and impacts on a global scale.

Our expert panel unveiled the abnormal activities observed in mosquito-borne diseases, shedding light on emerging pathogens and unprecedented outbreaks of dengue, malaria, and chikungunya infiltrating urban and rural areas, and the expansion of vector territories. We unravelled the contributing factors to disease resurgence, from climate change to immunologically naïve populations, to provide a better understanding of the most pressing challenges faced.

In the interactive session, we:

Navigated through real-life examples, showcasing how our early warning system identifies high-risk areas and unusual activity, emphasizing the importance of timeliness in awareness and risk assessment.
Explored the medium and long-term outlooks using our innovative Vector Suitability Score (VSS) model, estimating vector geographical expansion over the next 5-10 years.
Examined the obstacles faced when unusual dengue, malaria, and chikungunya activity is present, understood emerging pathogens, and uncovered the role of AI in gaining near-real-time awareness and foresight in identifying populations experiencing vulnerabilities

If you missed this opportunity to be part of an engaging discussion with our expert surveillance and clinical teams you can access the recording now, and gain valuable insights!

Read more on this subject in our article: Climate change likely to turn New York into a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitos

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Predictive analysis demonstrates a combined threat of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 this winter

Jenny Cade — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 19:41:38 +0000

TORONTO, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BlueDot Inc., a global leader in infectious disease intelligence, announced today that it has signed an agreement with the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) of Japan. The collaboration will draw from BlueDot’s strengths in integrating artificial and human intelligence to strengthen Japan’s readiness and resilience to outbreaks of known and novel infectious diseases.

Under this new partnership, NCGM will leverage BlueDot’s global infectious disease intelligence and subject-matter expertise to identify emerging threats earlier, bolster the efficiency of their global horizon scanning activities, and increase the depth and timeliness of their risk assessments. Together, this partnership will support the creation of effective domestic strategies and policies, support international health and aid partnerships, and support NCGM’s breakthrough research projects.
This collaboration will empower NCGM with cutting-edge technology rooted in science, around-the-clock data-driven insights, and the foresight to be able to make critical decisions that contribute to a healthier and more resilient world.

“With over 150 years of experience in healthcare, NCGM understands the interconnected nature of today’s global infectious disease challenges, and the opportunities that can be realized through scientific and technological innovation”, stated Dr. Kamran Khan, CEO and Founder at BlueDot. “This collaboration will empower NCGM with cutting-edge technology rooted in science, around-the-clock data-driven insights, and the foresight to be able to make critical decisions that contribute to a healthier and more resilient world.”

“BlueDot’s intelligence will amplify our efforts in combatting global infectious diseases to save lives while also serving as a catalyst to advance our medical research and innovation initiatives”, Dr. Norihiro Kokudo, President, at NCGM.

BlueDot tracks more than 120 infectious diseases in 130 languages around the world, providing near real-time alerts along with expert analysis, outbreak risk assessments, and intelligence reports. This intelligence will support the Disease Control and Prevention Center within NCGM and will aid their research, policy development, and infectious disease control and prevention programs.

About BlueDot
BlueDot’s intelligence platform empowers public and private sector organizations to rapidly identify, understand, and effectively respond to global infectious disease threats. Combining human and artificial intelligence to track the activity of hundreds of infectious diseases and syndromes worldwide, it applies academic data science and deep subject matter expertise to anticipate global spread and impact. BlueDot ensures clients immediately know when important infectious disease threats emerge anywhere in the world, helps them focus on those that matter most to their organization, and empowers them to act swiftly and confidently when needed. Founded in 2013 and used by the City of Chicago, Taiwan CDC, Air Canada and more, BlueDot helps clients make critical decisions with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at http://www.bluedot.global.

Media Contact

Jenny Cade, BlueDot, 4163206854, media@bluedot.global

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Navigating the season ahead: influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 trends & impact

Sumaan Khan — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 18:43:56 +0000

Download the recording to explore a comprehensive analysis of the recent flu trends observed in the southern hemisphere and gain valuable insights into how they might impact the upcoming flu season in the northern hemisphere. Learn how to prevent RSV, and uncover what we can expect with COVID-19 next season.

Our expert BlueDot panel of epidemiologists shared their knowledge, discussed potential challenges, and explored strategies to prepare and protect communities from influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, researcher, or simply interested in public health, this webinar provided a deep understanding of what’s potentially coming next season and equipped you with essential knowledge for how to approach it.

Key topics to be covered include:

Recent flu trends in the southern hemisphere and its potential implications on the northern hemisphere.
The global impact of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.
How to prevent RSV in vulnerable populations.
The impact of COVID-19 on the flu season and what to expect.
Learnings from global experiences to better prepare and reduce disease burden.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead in safeguarding public health against influenza, RSV, and COVID-19! Fill out the form to instantly access the recording.

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BlueDot rapid risk assessment: Travel health risks in Uganda

Lauren Charbon — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:06:11 +0000

Join BlueDot epidemiologist Josephine De Leon as she performs a rapid risk assessment of travel health risks in Uganda to prepare her team for an upcoming trip. Using BlueDot data, she quickly identifies ongoing outbreaks, assesses endemic disease risks, and recommends preventative measures to keep travelers safe.

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