How Countries are Using Apps to Keep Track the Coronavirus Pandemic?

The world these days is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic, with most countries imposing complete lockdown in order to contain the spread of the virus. However, as the world is under lockdown, countries around the world are now rushing to develop apps that can help combat Covid-19, the novel coronavirus. In this way, the United States government is actively talking with Google, Facebook, and other tech companies and health experts regarding how they can leverage location data collected from Americans' phones to tackle the outbreak. This can help track whether people are making social distancing to avoid the spread of the virus.

In the UK, companies are looking to create apps to contain the spread of coronavirus. Infectious disease experts from Oxford University's Big Data Institute (BDI) proposed an idea in a paper that if a sufficiently large number of people installed a right Covid-19 contact tracing app on their phones, their movements could be tracked through GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth proximity sensing.

It is further proposed that when the app spots a person who has crossed paths with someone who has contracted the virus, they can be abruptly contacted and sent for testing. The app can work retrospectively. The team at Oxford has provided the British and other European governments with feasible data indicating that such an app could be deployed effectively and ethically.

In India, the coronavirus cases has crossed 700 this week. Thus, in a bid to combat this deadly virus, the National e-Governance Division of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has built a location-based COVID-19-tracking app. The app, named the Corona Kavach, geo-traces users' location and allows them know if they have met a coronavirus-infected person. Already, the app's beta version on Google Play Store has reportedly notched up over 10,000 downloads in just two days.

In its app listing, MeitY stated, "This app is being developed in public interest to give information and capture the outbreak of coronavirus. The data will be used to conduct analysis and provide information about the active COVID-19 cases in India." The Corona Kavach involves features that can track people's breathing capacity. It has also a survey form feature which lets people check symptoms, and guides them to see a doctor if required. It also encompasses government advisories and safety recommendations related to the Covid-19, and gives auto-updates.

Moreover, the government believes that the Corona Kavach will assist monitor the status of the community spread of the virus, and keep citizens away from infected users. In fact, the PM has also offered to share the virus-tracking software with other SAARC nations.

Moving ahead, Mainland China and South Korea reportedly have lessened the number of reported new cases of Covid-19. On the other hand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan haven't saw sheer rises in the first place. Despite this, they are seeking to limit the rise in cases, which has already been seen in some places. So, to deal with this challenge, they are all turning to information technology.

As Hong Kong utilizes WhatsApp, South Korea has a customized app that sounds an alarm and alerts to officials if people wander off. According to reports, nearly half of the 10,600 people under quarantine downloaded the app. Furthermore, Taiwan is tracking quarantined people's phones using data from cell-phone masts. For instance, if it finds someone out of bounds, it texts them and alerts the authorities.