Esteban Granero links up with AI to tackle Covid-19 in Spain

Granero is making the best use of Artificial Intelligence

Spain, like many other countries in Europe, are no strangers to the wrecking ushered by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which originated inside a market in Wuhan back in December.

The country has recorded over 200,000 cases until now, with more than 25,000 people succumbing to death since the outbreak.

However, former Real Madrid midfielder Granero feels they are way past the peak of the outbreak. The Spaniard, who currently plies his trade for Marbella in the second division, has been on the forefront to tackle the virus in his home country.

He has been watching the trends carefully through Olocip, an artificial intelligence company involved in the fight against Covid-19.

Olocip was founded by Granero, who also works as the chief executive of the company, in a bid to help football clubs and players benefit from artificial intelligence and the data gathered by it to make better decisions.

The development team at Olocip firmly believe that AI can help the players as well as coaches with respect to match preparation and tactics, as the world wakes up to the various technological marvels it can potentially produce.

However, the application is currently being used to track and measure the trends of the coronavirus outbreak in Spain. Granero and his team have successfully managed to map, measure and predict the number of those infected in the country, courtesy of Olocip.

The model developed by Olocip currently estimates as well as predicts the number of cases and tracks the evolution of those numbers. As such, it helps to anticipate problems that could arise in the mobilisation of resources.

For example, it can predict the amount of masks and respirators required by a particular region, which subsequently helps production and distribution.

It also has features that can simulate distancing and lockdown measures, measuring how they impact upon the curve of infections, foreseeing certain trends and helping to avoid a potential second or third wave.

All of these might sound like an unexpected activity for a footballer, but Granero is hoping to make his most lasting impression beyond the pitch during these desperate times.