14th April 2020: Nearly half of the world’s population is now locked down in their homes to avoid spreading the coronavirus. With a vaccine likely still many months away, many countries are looking for ways they can get their people and economies moving again without risking further deaths. New research suggests that using an app to track people’s movements and identify and isolate anyone who has come into contact with an infected person could be critical in avoiding or leaving lockdown.
To minimize the numbers of positive patients in Hospitals, Government and Private companies are doing their best to help citizens of the country by making Covid-19 contact tracing apps. These apps are helping in finding quick overview of corona symptoms, by which people can know the results while sitting at their home. Before Google and Apple, these companies have introduced these contact tracing applications.
In order to contain the virus, health officials need to track all the close contacts of a suspect without losing too much time. It starts with informing people if they have come into contact with another person who has been tested positive or is a suspected covid-19 case. Then begins the massive exercise of identifying and reaching out to all those who may have come in close contact with the confirmed case.
Talking about 5 innovative apps supporting contact tracing-
Aiisma – Aiisma is an India born data marketplace, rewards users for consensually and anonymously trading their data via the Aiisma App. In light of the current Covid-19 situation, it has also expedited the release of its health mapping feature for individuals, to manually share and monitor health insights. Increased use of the app will enable authorities with pro-active responses, due to sudden variations in the data pool. It also intends to release a trigger function for authorities to send anonymous alerts to any Aiisma users who might have come in contact with any positive tested carrier. Also, users can consensually and anonymously trade their behavioural data for rewards and receive extra compensation for viewing ads on the marketplace. Businesses access this data through the Aiisma dashboard in a legal and economical format, to create relevant products and services offerings. With it’s #mydatamyasset philosophy, Aiisma intends to create a nationwide trend of returning the power of data back to users.
Arogya Setu– Aarogya Setu is a mobile application developed by the Government of India to connect essential health services with the people of India in our combined fight against COVID-19. The App is aimed at augmenting the initiatives of the Government of India, particularly the Department of Health, in proactively reaching out to and informing the users of the app regarding risks, best practices and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of COVID-19.
Cova Punjab– COVA Punjab (Corona Virus Alert) App has been developed by the Government of Punjab to provide citizens with preventive care information and other government advisories. The app will help by providing real time dashboard for Punjab, India and global stats, to check for symptoms of Corona and have a quick self-screening, Corona Awareness, Traveling instructions,
Prevention Products and information about Corona Hospitals in Punjab.
You will receive updates from government, advisories and instructions from time to time via PUSH notification on the App.
Maha Kavach– The state government of Maharashtra has announced the launch of MahaKavach, a smartphone app that will help government officials to track suspected COVID-19 cases in the state. The app is not being openly listed on Android or iOS app stores, and according to internal sources, will only be used by the government to track specific, suspected COVID-19 cases, or those who have already been put in quarantine by health officials in the state. The app will use smartphone-based location services, and will be used to geo-fence the individuals as India fights to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from reaching a community transmission stage.
Corona Kavach – The Corona Kavach app is meant to track Coronavirus and somehow control its spread. You are required to answer a couple of questions (if you are facing difficulty in breathing, body temperature, sore throat, and more) and it will mark you as All Good, See a Doctor, Quarantine, and Infected. Following this, whenever you go out, you are required to enable the app and it will (by tracking your location) alert you if you are in the proximity of another person either infected by Coronavirus or at high risk. This way, you can remain safe from catching the virus.
