I just downloaded a Contact Tracing app called Healthy Together.
With all the chaos (and absence of social distancing) resulting from numerous demonstrations all over the country, a second wave of Covid-19 seems inevitable. It is thus wise to be prepared for this eventuality.
“The Healthy Together app helps you assess your symptoms, find the nearest testing center, view test results, and learn what to do after you’ve been tested for COVID-19.”
When you install this app on your phone, it first asks about a dozen questions (Yes or No) regarding the state of your health. From then on, it will ask daily to self-report how you feel; you will have to answer 7 or 8 questions, an easy task that can be done in less than a minute.
It will then assess your symptoms, and if need be, direct you to the nearest COVID-19 testing center. You will also get prompt results and be told what to do next.
In the eventuality of a new outbreak, contact tracing will make it easier to identify the people who have been contaminated. It can be very helpful to prevent a widespread resurgence of the pandemic.
Some people are worried about privacy and are suspicious of this application. But as it is today, we have very little privacy left, and your life might be more valuable to you than your privacy.
In any case, the also app states the following:
“Users own their data and can delete their data at any time. The use of your data is limited to COVID-19 response efforts. Any location data will be automatically deleted after 30 days.”
To sum it up
The Utah Department of Health is already using contact tracing and urges everybody to participate in this program.
So, what have you got to lose? Some thin shreds of privacy? Is it not worth it to save a few lives…
The more people participate in this program, the safer we will all be.
Alain