‘New normal’ is an expression we hear a lot in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. In our day-to-day activities it means being mindful of the ever-present threat of a virus overwhelming our society, but what could be the new normal in healthcare? We have seen mixed reports on how China has dealt with the recent outbreak, in which there seems to be controversy mainly around the early acceptance of the warning. Nevertheless, China is a country with its own challenges, and since the epidemic, it took extraordinary measures in dealing with the outbreak and minimising further impact on its healthcare system. Impressively, a hospital was constructed in a matter of days, for purposes of dealing with Covid-19. Another, lesser known measure, is the use of robotics combined with other technology in achieving tasks necessary in clinical areas. Not only in China. We have seen reports that in Seattle, USA, doctors used a remote-controlled telepresence robot in treating and monitoring a coronavirus patient to minimise risk of infection. In the West, it seems this technology is deployed where appropriate or accessible. However, the use of robotics and artificial intelligence in the far east has been embraced widely as a crucial part of combating the epidemic. Indeed, it seems in the very same areas where population density present a higher risk of epidemic, their measures seemed to have gained more effective control of the spread of Coronavirus
