Available online at www.HighTechJournal.org HighTech and Innovation Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, June, 2020 67 The Use of Zipline Drones Technology for COVID-19 Samples Transportation in Ghana Emmanuel Lamptey a , Dorcas Serwaa a* a Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (Including Health and Agriculture), Pan African University, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Received 16 April 2020; Revised 24 May 2020; Accepted 27 May 2020; Published 01 June 2020 Abstract Drone technology has a wide range of general applications in the military, agriculture, data processing, security, and healthcare. The emergence of the novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated its revolution in the healthcare industry. Ghana, a western African country, was the first to program and deploy automated drones to shuttle medical supplies and samples of suspected COVID-19 patients. With this approach, Ghana was able to quickly respond to the pandemic and save the lives of the general population. This paper presents a narrative study on the use of Zipline drones for transporting samples of suspected COVID-19 patients, highlighting the challenges and potential barriers encountered. Keywords: Zipline-Drones; COVID-19; Testing Capacity; Ghana. 1. Introduction The novel COVID-19, first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has become a public health emergency of international concern and at least 188 countries have reported confirmed cases worldwide [1]. As of June 11, 2020, John Hopkin University reported that the pandemic has infected over 7.4 million individuals on the globe with a 418,203 death rate and about 3.5 million recoveries [2]. Previous studies have already labelled certain African countries like Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa as high risk for the importation of the virus [3]. Since recording its first two cases on March 12th, 2020, Ghana has implemented prudent and drastic public health measures in an attempt to control the spread and effects of COVID-19 on the populace [4]. Although the pandemic has undeniably revealed humanity's lack of preparedness for outbreaks, it has also presented the health and science world with one of the most daunting examinations [5]. Ghana is currently using a drone technology approach to reduce the amount of time it takes to get COVID-19 test samples from remote rural areas to labs. Instead of waiting for days for a batch of samples to be transported by truck, tests from rural areas can be delivered for analysis in less than an hour [6]. The government wanted to ensure that testing would have the same level of confidence in rural areas as it does in urban areas [7]. It is the first time in history that autonomous drones have been used to make regular, long-range deliveries into densely populated urban areas [8]. These innovations, developments, and historic turns around in Ghana show that air transport or drone technology can be a reliable and dependable tool in the fight against coronavirus by speeding up mass testing. This paper will show how Ghana has used scientific and technological innovation to speed up the COVID-19 testing process. * Corresponding author: dserwaa0327@stu.ui.edu.ng http://dx.doi.org/10.28991/HIJ-2020-01-02-03  This is an open access article under the CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). © Authors retain all copyrights. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7822-7593 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8583-4415 HighTech and Innovation Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, June, 2020 68 2. A Brief Account of Drones Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, are advancing in the 21st century. Areas of application include agriculture, data processing, the military, security, and health. Irrespective of the purpose and use, drones tend to be very fast, flexible, and economically cost-effective. These air taxes have been shown to possess the capability of shipping and distributing packages to their destination when necessary [9]. Drones are eco-sustainable with fewer carbon dioxide emissions because they operate on batteries and ride in the skies without being obstructed by road infrastructure or traffic networks. When drones transport samples or parcels, the approximate time it would take to deliver them is extremely predictable. According to Drones for Development, there are more than 2.5 billion people living in developing countries who live in rural and remote areas. Therefore, drones can serve as an alternative, reliable, and secure option for transporting samples and distributing medical supplies to such areas [10]. 3. Drone Technology in Africa Unlike developing countries, developing countries have overwhelmingly adopted drone technology to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Whether developing African countries have the technical advancements needed to use this method is arguable. However, in recent times, several African countries have enthusiastically accepted this technology due to weak road connectivity and other causes. Africa now serves as the mature location for the full deployment and development of drone technology. This drone technology currently supports three sectors of the African economy, namely, the mining, agricultural, and health sectors. In 2016, the Malawian government, in partnership with UNICEF, implemented a pilot program to speed up the testing of HIV cases in infants [11]. Drones are also used by Rwanda to transport blood samples and other essential medications to remote clinics [12]. A memorandum of understanding to deploy drone technology for successful healthcare delivery was signed by the government of Ghana via the Ministry of Health and Zipline Health Care Logistics Company [13]. The Ghana Drone Delivery Service was aimed at transporting and distributing healthcare products, blood transfusion sets, vaccines, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and other medical supplies across the country within the shortest possible time. The main goal of this research was to make sure that everyone had access to health care at the same time, no matter where they lived. Figure 1. African map showing Ghana, Rwanda, the two African countries currently using drones 4. Zipline Company and Drone Zipline, the drone-delivery start-up based in California, is one of America's leading autonomous logistics medical organizations, developing some of the fastest and most reliable drones worldwide [12]. Their products are medical models with different speeds, target ranges, and payload capacities that can achieve a speed of up to 128km/h, HighTech and Innovation Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, June, 2020 69 coverage of 160km (99 miles), while carrying a load of 1.75 kg [14]. The drones are configured with flight computers, engines, communications devices, flight controls, navigation and power systems. The zips of the drone have a wingspan of 3.8 meters (10.8 feet) and carry about 4 pounds of payload within 100 miles while flying at a speed of 90 mph. Although Zipline drones are autonomous, they are still supervised and managed by humans when needed [8]. The company's autonomous drones have flown more than 2 million miles since their launch in October 2016 and shipped more than 60,000 vaccines, units of blood, and other medical products to Ghana, Rwanda, and India [8, 14]. 5. Zipline’s Drone Technology for Expedite Haulage of Samples in Ghana With the initial low testing capacity and substantial number of suspected cases, the government tasked Zipline Healthcare Logistic Company to shuttle medical supplies and COVID-19 suspected samples from rural and deprived areas within the country to the two largest cities, Accra and Kumasi, where the main laboratories responsible for COVID-19 testing are located. The Noguchi Memorial Medical Research Institute is headquartered in Accra, while the Kumasi Collaborative Research Center is located in Kumasi. The company has two main distribution centers; the Omenako center, which delivers samples from the environs of Accra to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, and the Mampong center, which obtains samples from Kumasi environs and delivers them to the Kumasi Centre for Collaboration Research [6, 8]. The company liaisons and obtains samples taken from suspected people in health facilities within remote parts of a catchment area and delivers them to the laboratories for testing. The project, which launched on Friday, April 17, 2020, gathered 51 test samples from suspected people in rural health facilities to the company's delivery center at Omenako, about 68 kilometres north of the capital of Accra, and delivered them to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra for testing and analysis over the course of four separate flights [8]. And on Sunday, April 18, 2020, the first sample transfer to the Kumasi Center for testing took place, 30 miles away from the Distribution Centre. The Zipline Drone has since then carried samples from more than 1000 rural health facilities across the country to these two major laboratories [12]. Aside from the transportation of COVID-19 test samples, the zips (drones) are also involved in sending unused test kits, medical supplies, and drugs to rural areas where they are most needed [6]. Despite that capacity, Zipline fleets can be equipped to transport up to 15,000 test cases flying 300 times a day all over the country. Figure 2. Map of Ghana showing Greater Accra and Asante region, the Zipline drone company headquarters HighTech and Innovation Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, June, 2020 70 6. Method Once the samples are obtained from the health facilities, the test swabs are packaged with ice in a well-designed biological container in compliance with the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for Handling and Processing COVID-19 Specimens and placed in the bellies of the drones (zips). The Zip is placed on a launcher (like a rope that catapults the zip off a ramp into the skies) and programmed to take off to its destination (The Testing Laboratory). Upon arrival at the testing laboratory premises, the Zip positions itself in a safe and stable attitude above ground level. The zip opens up its belly to release the load (the COVID-19 samples) by parachute into a prepared drop zone. After dropping off their payloads, the drones then return to the delivery center. Attendants at the drop zone disinfect the biological container using a spraying device before touching it. The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research or Kumasi Centre for Collaboration Research runs the analysis, and the test results are then delivered via Short Message Service (SMS). Compared to vehicle transport, the drone saves time; the entire process takes a maximum of 30 minutes [14]. It is worth mentioning that, during this current COVID-19 pandemic, it is the first time drone technology has been used to make daily long-range deliveries in Africa. Figure 3. Illustrates the application for the distribution of COVID-19 suspected samples from remote areas to the laboratory Figure 4. Drone delivery of COVID-19 samples in Ghana (Photo: Zipline) 7. Challenges and Anticipated Barriers Associated with the Drone Technology Although the world has applauded Ghana for this unique initiative, there are challenges and anticipated downsides associated with this approach. First, the successful operations of the drones depend on weather conditions. Hot and cold weather has also been found to impact drone performance and distance flight. In hot weather, just as in tropical Africa, drone engines do not operate harder to airlift the device, and this may result in shorter flights. High winds and rain impair drone flights, reduce battery life, influence drone stability and, in cases of maintaining their stability, end up flying in the wrong direction. Drones cannot fly in rainy seasons because they do not have water resistance. Most of these sometimes result in failed delivery or no flight until the weather conditions are favourable. Thus, all conditions must be balanced or they could impact the Zipline Drones' take-off, movement, and landing. However, the aforementioned limitations were unable to undermine the successful running of the operation, and this has put Ghana at the forefront of such a technological breakthrough. HighTech and Innovation Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, June, 2020 71 8. Conclusion This global challenge demanded a distinctive solution, and this is precisely the plan Ghana's government and Zipline's logistics adopted in confronting the coronavirus pandemic. Ghana tackled the COVID-19 pandemic effectively and inspired innovative ways of increasing access to testing and healthcare delivery for everyone, including those in remote areas of the country. With this approach, the government of Ghana was able to quickly save the lives of the general populace. Drones are contributing immensely to the revolutionalization of Africa and Ghana is hailed for championing this course, and by so doing, Ghana achieved the United Nations Global Goals of Universal Health Care. 9. Acknowledgement Thanks to Mr. Selasie Ahiatrogah for the assistance with some relevant information on drones in Ghana. 10. Institutional Review Board Statement Not applicable. 11. Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. 12. References [1] World Health Organization. (2020). Social Stigma associated with COVID-19: A guide to preventing and addressing. WHO, 1– 5. Available online: https://who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/covid19-stigma-guide.pdf (accessed on February 2020). [2] COVID-19 Map (2020). Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Corornavirus Resource Center. 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