Coronavirus Tracing App Could Help Get Life Moving Back To Normal
LONDON (CBSMiami) – A vaccine against coronavirus is still months away but experts in Britain say a new smartphone app could help get life moving back to normal.
While face masks and social distancing have been the only weapons in the fight against the coronavirus, Britain's National Health Service says more ammunition will soon be at people's fingertips. It is an app used to trace those who have come into contact with COVID-19.
"The app will send an alert anonymously to other app users that you've been in significant contact with over the past few days even before you had symptoms," explained British Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Essentially, the app tracks where you go and remembers who you were close to by communicating through Bluetooth with other phones.
If someone contracts the virus, the app alerts you if you were near them.
Oxford University says it is a 21st century answer to stop the spread of the virus.
"You can reach people and provide advice on quarantining and isolation and social distancing and you can do that quick enough before they transmit to other people," said Oxford University Senior Researcher David Bonsall.
Singapore has already rolled out a similar app to boost efforts to trace cases, but to be effective, widespread testing is needed.
"I think it's a good idea because obviously the more contact testing that we do and the more we know exactly where the hot spots are, the better we can treat from everything the scientists say," said one person who didn't give their name.
The app is voluntary but critics are still worried about privacy. Others say the benefits should outweigh the concern.
"They're tracking you all the time anyways. So what difference does it make it might as well be for a good reason."
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If the app is effective, health experts predict life could start to return to normal.
Experts in the UK hope to roll out their app in the coming weeks.
Apple and Google have teamed up to create a similar app here in the US.
