An optimisation of data management and data reuse is hugely beneficial during virus outbreaks like the one we are experiencing now with Covid19.
We now have the technical ability, as well as the commitment from experts in a series of affected countries, to make the data about the current outbreak FAIR, meaning that they are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and thus Reusable (including AI-Ready) by both humans and machines.
So far, valuable data of past and present epidemics is not always universally accessible. Under the urgent need to harness machine-learning and future AI approaches to discover meaningful patterns in epidemic outbreaks, we need to do better and make this data FAIR.
Therefore, The GO FAIR Foundation launched the Virus Outbreak Data Network (VODAN). Members of this rapid response network will work primarily remotely in collaborative online work sessions to refine standards, build tools and deploy FAIR Data Points.
More info here.
