Blockchain-Based Solution for COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

Strategic Insights -

Research by the Southwest University of Science and Technology has led to the development of a blockchain-based solution to facilitate global travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics. The solution, called Borderless, aims to address the limitations of current travel restrictions by providing a secure and adaptive proof protocol for travelers to verify their COVID-19 status. This innovative solution leverages blockchain technology to ensure the privacy and security of travelers' information while minimizing costs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The existing solutions for travel restrictions are country or region-based, often impractical, and pose technological hurdles for travelers, which the proposed solution aims to address.
  • Borderless is a decentralized application that leverages blockchain as a trust anchor and decentralized storage technology to facilitate secure cross-border travel.
  • The solution has been evaluated for its security, privacy-preservation, and cost-effectiveness, with results showing that it takes less than 60 and 3 seconds to onboard users and perform proof verification, respectively.
  • The proposed solution aims to foster global travel by allowing travelers and countries to collaboratively engage in a secure adaptive proof protocol to verify the fact that the traveler poses no danger, irrespective of the country located.
  • The solution has been implemented as a blueprint to facilitate cross-border travel during the present and future pandemics.
  • The research team, led by Justice Odoom, has conducted an experimental evaluation of the solution, demonstrating its usability and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Software Practice and Experience.

Statistics:

  • The proposed solution takes less than 60 seconds to onboard users.
  • The solution takes less than 3 seconds to perform proof verification.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Software Practice and Experience.
  • The research team, led by Justice Odoom, includes additional authors Xiaofang Huang and Samuel Akwasi Danso.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Reports Outline COVID-19 Findings from Southwest University of Science and Technology (Covid-19 and Future Pandemics: a Blockchain-based Privacy-aware Secure Borderless Travel Solution From Electronic Health Records). Telemedicine Week. August 16, 2022; p 424.
  • Software Practice and Experience, 2022.
  • Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA.
  • Southwest University of Science and Technology, Computer Sciences and Technology Department, Mianyang 621010, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.