Coronavirus Tracking App Can Help Stop The Spread Of COVID-19 But Privacy Will Be A Problem

Coronavirus changed the world in many ways. There are good effects but people around the world want it gone soon. This is because it is killing people and bringing down economies which means that citizens may lose jobs and will be unable to earn for their families.

The worst-case scenario is that governments worldwide will lose control over the spread of COVID-19. This is why many countries are looking for ways to stop the spreading of this highly contagious infection.

Aside from the vaccine, a number of nations are using technology to develop something that will help people in tracking COVID-19 positive patients so they can avoid the area. This will also make it easier for the officials to carry out contact-tracing to track people who got in contact with those who tested positive for the virus.

Likewise, since developing the vaccine will take months, the fastest option today are methods that can be produced immediately to avoid more deaths and get the economies worldwide running again. One example is something that they called the coronavirus tracking app.

Through research, it was discovered that it is possible to track people’s movements using an app. It also helps in identifying who has come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person so contact-tracing will be easier and the person could be isolated immediately. It will also warn the app user whenever they step on an area where an infected person has been identified so the response is to avoid that place.

The study conducted by the University of Oxford revealed that the coronavirus is spreading too quickly that is why it is getting difficult to contain the pandemic. Even if lockdowns have been implemented and infected people are being quarantined, the spread still proved to be unstoppable.

Researchers think that the only immediate solution right now is the digital contact-tracking. They said that by using this app, nations will be able to control the pandemic but one needs to download this on their smartphones.

Once installed, the app will keep track of the users’ movements and notify them if they have come in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person. The next step is - the app will advise the user to go on self-quarantine to avoid infecting others in case he or she caught the virus too.

This coronavirus tracking app already exists in China, Singapore, Israel and South Korea but concerns over privacy have been raised. According to NBC News, there growing scrutiny from privacy advocates as they question whether this level of surveillance is acceptable. Medical experts are also questioning its efficiency. Despite these issues, tech experts are optimistic that this new app will be accepted by the public because it can help save lives and avoid the worst impact of the coronavirus not just on health but in global economies too.