During pandemics, a whole lot of people have no choice but to stay indoors so they’d not be infected. In such times, the only way to keep in touch with your family members that are afield is through communications tools/apps/platforms. Interestingly, technology has made communications more accessible, as well as provide us with cutting-edge algorithms that can help with contact tracing during pandemic periods.
Keeping abreast of the latest information and staying healthy is what matters in Pandemic times; thus, this article contains a list of best coronavirus apps, specially designed to help people in tracking their health while a viral epidemic or pandemic is progressing.
Quick info: It is very important to set up Android emergency contacts. These contacts are people that can be easily reached when you’re in an emergency situation. Read more below.
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Top 10 Apps to Track Your Health During Pandemics
1. TraceTogether
This mobile app launched on March 20, 2020 – it is precisely for contact tracing during pandemic times. The Singaporean government developed TraceTogether, and it is available for both Android smartphone users and iPhone users.
How it Works
TraceTogether gets information from an infected patient via an interactive interview session. The infected patient fills in details of where he or she has been and everyone they’ve come in contact with. This app now uses the information to transmit short distance signals when a TraceTogether app user is close to another TraceTogether user. While this app gathers quite some sensitive information about you, it would require your consent to upload the data to any health body handling the covid19 pandemic. With TraceTogether, it is easier to track people who have come in contact with an infected Covid-19 patient.
Features
- Flaunts a user-friendly interface – easy to navigate
- Works with Bluetooth connection
- Encrypts your personal data – asks for your consent before using your data
- Effective contact tracing algorithms
Availability
TraceTogether is available for Android and iOS device users. However, at the moment, this app is for people living in the following regions: Singapore, the USA, UK, Europe, and some countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. HaMagen (THE SHIELD)
The HaMagen app is from the Israeli government – the app is to help the government track covid19 patients, and it also helps for contact tracing. This app is different from other coronavirus apps because it uses GPS for location, instead of Bluetooth signals as with TraceTogether.
How it Works
HaMagen makes use of GPS tracking and credit card purchase data to track the app users’ location, then compares them to the saved records of infected covid19 patients. Simply put, once you start using the app, it tracks your for the last fourteen days and then compares with known locations infected covid19 patients. This way, it is easier to trace contacts.
Also, once the location of an infected person is confirmed, HaMagen sends out a message to all app users telling them about all location points of confirmed COVID 19 cases they’ve been to. Immediately they’ve been informed; the decision is up to them to report to the relevant health authorities or go into self-isolation for 14 days. But the app doesn’t engage in self-reporting or submitting a user’s information to a third party.
Features
- Accurate and more extensive location tracking via GPS
- Privacy protection – users data are not sent to 3rd parties
- Effective contact tracing
Availability
Only available on Android Play Store and for people living on Israel for now.
3. COVID Symptom Study (formerly COVID Symptom Tracker)
Developed by the doctors and scientists at King’s College London, and also Guys and St Thomas’ Hospitals and Zoe Global Limited, a health technology company. The primary purpose of this app is to self-diagnose its users for COVID 19 symptoms and curtail its spread.
How it Works
First, users sign up for a free account. The app then collects information from people regarding their health, bordering on how well they feel. If they are not feeling well, they can consent to fill in the symptoms they’re experiencing. Also, they can indicate their status for COVID 19.
It then uses the information collected to inform the relevant health authorities and inform the users about the latest symptoms to watch out for. The app also advises users to begin self-isolation and quarantine while waiting for the testing kits, which are delivered to those who submitted their symptoms earlier to confirm COVID 19 status.
Features
- User-friendly interface
- Self-diagnostic function
- Self-reporting function
Availability
Available to Android and iOS devices users in the United States and the UK.
4. Covid Watch
Covid Watch is developed in the USA for digital contact tracing and alerting.
How it Works
The app uses Bluetooth to exchange signals when two or more users are in close range (10 meters apart). It identifies and stores random anonymous numbers securely for 2 to 4 weeks.
If any of the users’ test positive for COVID 19, he or she can indicate via the app. The app now sends out results of the infected person as a warning message to other users whose anonymous numbers are stored on the infected user’s phone. It informs the other app users what to do to protect themselves and others around them.
Features
- Uses Bluetooth signals
- Privacy control – saves users data for a maximum of 4 weeks
- User-friendly and intuitive interface
Availability
Available to Android and iOS devices users in the United States and the UK. However, you should visit the website first.
5. CoronApp – Colombia
Here’s Columbia’s offering to help in this COVID19 pandemic period. It is one of the best coronavirus apps that is available for all regions. This app helps as a data source for state decision making in Columbia.
How it Works
It works for daily self-reporting to the INS. Also, the app helps you to track symptoms of the novel coronavirus. This app is a multi-feature app and it is secure to use.
Features
- Daily self-reporting
- Intuitive interface
- Handles your data safely
Availability
Anyone can install this app on their smartphone – it is not limited to some regions or countries.
6. NHS Covid19 App
This is a multi-feature app used for self-diagnosis and contact tracing. It is developed in March 2020, by an American software company, VMware. However, the software was released to the public on May 6, 2020.
How it Works
The app requests that you enter your postcode area number – it also takes note of your device model. With these pieces of information, the app creates a unique identification number for you. Thus, when two people that are using the app are in close proximity, the app makes use of Bluetooth to record the users’ ID numbers for contact tracing.
On the other hand, this app also works for self-diagnosis. Users of this app can report themselves if they start noticing any symptoms of coronavirus. The reports transmit to the NHS central server where it can be accessed. If the user is later confirmed positive, the app notifies all other people that have been or met with the infected person, thanks to its contract tracing algorithm.
Features
- Bluetooth signals for contact tracing
- Self-diagnosis function
Availability
Unfortunately, this app is only available for people in the United Kingdom. However, it is available on Android and iOS app stores.
7.COVI-ID App
Covi-ID is a mobile and web application developed by a team of highly-experienced scientists in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University of Capetown, South Africa. The main purpose of the app is to aid in contact tracing.
How it Works
Users are to sign up on the website and obtain a unique QR code they can scan using their mobile phones. Also, the QR code can be printed on paper (for people who don’t own smartphones). Hence, anywhere the user goes, he/she is expected to go with the QR code – the code will be scanned by security personnel at checkpoints. Each time the code is scanned, they get a geo-location receipt that tells them where they were on a particular day at a specific time. Thus, if anyone with the QR Code later tests positive, they can inform the health authorities. The authorities now inform other people who have been to places the infected has been in the past weeks.
Your data is safe and secured through blockchain.
Features
- QR code
- Available with or without internet
- Your data is secured using Blockchain technology
Availability
The app is available to Android users only, and it’s for people in South Africa.
8. Covid Safe
Covid Safe is developed to curtail the spread of Sars-Cov-2 within Australia.
How it Works
It makes use of Bluetooth signals to connect and get information about the app users. When one of the app users get infected, the app sends a notification to everyone that has been with the infected person within the last 14 days.
Features
- Live notifications
- Private-sensitive tracing
- Symptoms tracker
Availability
Available to Australians who use Android or iOS smartphones.
9. Coalition App
This app is launched Nodle (an IoT Startup company) on April 16, 2020. It is an app to checkmate the spread of COVID 19.
How it Works
Also, the Coalition app uses Bluetooth to identify nearby devices within 10 meters range. When a random user downloads the app, it brings out related records of other anonymous app users nearby. These records are saved for privacy purposes.
This app makes use of an open protocol – Coalition Whisper Tracing to random IDs for its users. Thus, when a user tests positive to Covid19, they can post their status on the app, which will send notifications to other users of the app.
Features
- Location tracking
- Bluetooth signals
- Privacy security
- Cloud storage
Availability
Anyone can install the Coalition app irrespective of his/her location. However, it is only available for Android OS.
10. NOVID App
Interestingly, the Novid App uses ultrasound and Bluetooth technologies to trace the number of people exposed to COVID-19. The app is from a team of scientists led by Prof. Po-Shen Loh of Mellon College of Science, USA.
How it Works
Install the app on your smartphone – it is a background app; however, you need to grant the app permission to use your device mic and Bluetooth. It makes use of Bluetooth radio waves alongside ultrasound tech to detect nearby app users to store their ID anonymously.
If by peradventure, you come in contact with a NOVID app user who is already positive to COVID-19, the app will notify you.
Features
- Ultrasound technology
- Bluetooth signals
- Respects your privacy
Availability
Available for all users worldwide.
What more?
These are the best Covid-19 apps to use and track your health and stay safe during this pandemic. Some of these apps are available in specific regions. However, there are a few ones you can use, irrespective of your location.
Did I miss anything? Let me know. Thanks for reading, kindly share to save lives. Have a great ahead.
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Originally posted on August 17, 2020 @ 1:29 pm
You should start YouTube channel
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was doing a little homework on this.
These apps and vaccinations saved the day for lots of people. One must have apps that track your Covid like symptoms.