IMPLEMENTATION OF PUTRAeRISK IN ASSESSING THE RISK LEVEL OF COVID-19 AMONGST CAMPUS RESIDENTS

Abstract

The pandemic of COVID 19 has changed the landscape of individual freedom. These scenarios affect daily routine activities at all levels. Closure of all public and private higher education institutions (IPTs) due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) aims to reduce the risks of being infected by this deadly disease. Campus residents need to adapt to the new norms of living. Staffs students, visitors and contractors are informed to follow safe operating procedures (SOPs) strictly. Implementation of the new norms on campus has become compulsory. There have been many reported active cases and new clusters in the nearby community, and therefore, stringent security procedures have come into force. This study aims to identify the different levels of exposure towards COVID 19 amongst campus residents during the MCO. An intervention study to develop an artificial intelligent web-based application, namely the PUTRAeRISK was performed. Assessments are made on the common symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Other information obtained includes close contacts, travelling history to other pandemic countries within 14 days, nasopharyngeal swab test and exposure to active clusters. A total of 800 respondents participated in this study. The result shows that the PUTRAeRISK significantly (p<0.05) correlates to all levels of risks. High (9.8%) and medium (23.6%) risk respondents are not permitted to enter the campus except the low risk. This study concluded that early assessment of COVID 19 risks using artificial intelligence is essential in breaking the chain of infection. The implication of this study would help an individual to take immediate action in preventing the spread of COVID 19 disease in a community.