Researchers in the UK have launched a coronavirus tracking smartphone app and are urging everyone to use it to help us track the spread of the deadly disease.
Its creators aim to deliver insights into why some people get the disease more severely than others.
They also hope to create a map showing where outbreaks are happening and help distinguish cases from those of the common cold.
The software requires users to share personal details, including their age, height and medical history.
It then asks them to describe symptoms, if they have any, on a daily basis, as well as to give a temperature reading.
It could potentially help the NHS:
- learn how fast the virus is spreading in a particular area, as well as highlighting high-risk parts of the country
- better understand the symptoms, including the differences between those of the virus and the common cold
- explain why some people develop a mild illness while others become critically unwell
All shared data would be anonymised and not used for any commercial purpose. And users could delete all their records when the crisis was over.
As spam and malware skyrocket on the back of the pandemic, people would be wise to be cautious about downloading other apps purporting to help tackle coronavirus.
People wishing to download the Covid-19 tracker can do so from Apple and Google’s app stores.
