The Role of Health Technology and Informatics in Global Public Health Emergency: Practices and Implications from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

UNSTRUCTURED: At present, COVID-19 is spreading around the world. It is a critical and important task to take all-out efforts to prevent and control the pandemic. Compared with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, COVID-19 spreads more rapidly owing to increased globalization, longer incubation period, and unobvious symptoms. As the coronavirus has the characteristics of strong transmission and weak lethality, and since the large-scale increase of infected people may drag down the healthcare systems, efforts are needed to treat critical patients, track and manage the health status of residents, and isolate suspected patients. The application of emerging health technologies and digital practices in healthcare such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine/telehealth, mobile health, big data, 5G, and the internet of things have become powerful "weapons" to fight against the pandemic and provide strong support in pandemic prevention and control. Applications and evaluations of all of these technologies or health delivery services are highlighted.