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More US States Launching COVID-19 Warning Apps
A growing number of American states are launching smartphone systems designed to warn people of possible exposure to COVID-19.
The release of the apps comes as parts of the United States continue to struggle with the spread of COVID-19 and after President Trump announced that he had become infected.
States and local communities set their own restrictions and guidelines for citizens to follow to reduce spread of the virus. คาสิโนออนไลน์ สล็อต The federal government did not build a nationwide app, so states have worked with developers to create their own.
The tool could be a big help to health officials trying to deal with a fast-spreading disease that many people do not even know they have. Many infected individuals show few or no signs of sickness. If a person learns they were near someone who later got infected, they could immediately isolate or seek treatment.
The apps are based on technology developed by Google and Apple. They use Bluetooth wireless signals to permit devices near each other to exchange information. A record of the exchange is created. Users who become infected can share the information to warn others who were near them about possible infection.
U.S. states have used this technology to develop their apps. But it is too early to know how effective the systems will be in fighting the spread of COVID-19.
Jeffrey Kahn is director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, a medical research organization in Baltimore, Maryland. When asked to give his opinion on such apps, he told VOA the success of such systems remains unknown.
“That's part of what’s both interesting and frustrating about where we are,” Kahn said. He added that since the technology is unproven and the systems are being launched in the middle of a public health emergency, “there’s a lot of learning as we go.”
One of the main barriers to making the apps a success in other places has been a low usage rate among the public. In Europe, several countries launched apps in recent months. But, few people downloaded them. Officials in some nations say the low usage rates make the technology ineffective.
Virginia became the first U.S. state to launch an app in early August. As of October 1, officials said about 576,000 Virginians had downloaded the app, called COVIDWISE. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that number of downloads represented about 7 percent of the state’s population.
As of October 1, just 238 people had used the app to report they had become infected. But more than 50,000 Virginians have tested positive for COVID-19 since the app launched, the report said.
State officials said the app was advertised in a public campaign and they were not sure why more people had not downloaded it. The officials noted Virginia’s app includes strong privacy protections. An explanation of the COVIDWISE app states that “no location data or personal information” is ever collected, stored or sent to state health officials or technology companies.