Currently, there have been no recorded cases of Covid-19 in Saudi Arabia, which may be in part due to Saudi Arabia closing its border to foreign ‘Umrah’ pilgrims − just one of the precautionary measures the region is taking to protect itself from the virus. But the region has prepped 25 hospitals with 2,200 hospital beds ready to treat quarantined patients should the need arise.

Elsewhere, Israel’s Sheba Medical Center is turning to telehealth to treat coronavirus patients. The medical centre in Israel, which took custody of the 12 Israeli passengers onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, is treating patients via telemedicine solutions in a special quarantined area of the facility’s campus.

Sheba Medical Center is using solutions from both Datos and Tyto Care to treat those quarantined. Dato provides a thermometer, blood pressure cap and CO₂ device, all connected by a tablet, which also facilitates virtual visits through the platform. Tyto Care’s solution comes in the form of a stethoscope designed to be used by the consumer, which can listen to the lungs and identify findings. The findings are then transmitted to connected devices such as tables, which can be continuously monitored by treating staff, while having limited interaction with them.

"If and when the virus does come to Israel, we may end up being overwhelmed with a large number of coronavirus cases, all diagnosed at the same time, which could result in both staff and patients being at risk despite taking the most extreme precautions," Dr Galia Barkai, Head of Telemedicine Services at Sheba, said in a statement. "Datos' solution can help us greatly reduce this risk by enabling us to monitor less severe patients outside the hospital, in the relative safety and comfort within their homes, with the telemedicine app enabling us to communicate with them via video whenever necessary."