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While Apple and Google released technology in May to help inform people of exposure to COVID-19, experts say low adoption has so far led to a modest impact on the pandemic.
“Exposure notifications” using Bluetooth proximity tracking technology on iOS and Android devices are aimed at “early notification” in an effort to curb the spread of the virus; therefore considered another tool to strengthen contact tracing. Public health agencies could then develop their own apps using the newly developed interface, or offer exposure notifications without creating an app, according to a document compiled by the tech giants.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for example, announced a new app called COVIDaware MN late last month.
“We are seeing a dangerous increase in cases statewide,” Walz wrote. “The more information Minnesotans have, the easier it will be to stop the spread.”
However, nine months after the start of the pandemic, Dr Lara Jehi, head of research information at the Cleveland Clinic, told Fox News that the problem lies with the implementation of the apps, not the apps themselves. . Lehi says that for apps to work, the majority of the population should ideally be using them, and the COVID-19 status must be readily available.
“According to the latest estimates I’m aware of (October 3), only 10 states with about 20% of the US population are using Google and Apple apps,” Jehi said. “In many of these states, adoption is very low (3% in Nevada for example). COVID-19 tests are still not readily available and typically take several days to complete. It is therefore not surprising that “applications do not work”. “
However, a team of scientists from the University of Oxford previously told CBC that a stake of just 15% could have a positive impact, based on previous simulations.
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In New York State, for example, Public Information Director Jonah Bruno says that an exposure notification tool called COVID Alert NY was launched in October. He said more than 1.1 million New Yorkers have downloaded the app and more than 2,700 New Yorkers whose mobile app has tested positive for COVID-19 to date.
“Almost 900 of these people successfully marked their COVID positive status in the app, triggering more than 800 exposure notifications among other app users,” he said.
To put that number into perspective, about 5% of New Yorkers have downloaded the app, 0.27% of those users have tested positive, and of that number, less than a third have updated the app with their COVID-19 status.
Jehi says the apps have encountered resistance in the United States over privacy concerns in terms of location data. According to Google, however, Google and Apple have built-in protections to ensure that government contact tracing apps designed with the exposure notification system cannot know where people are.
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Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the COVID Alert PA app has recorded more than 638,000 downloads since its launch on September 22, according to Maggi Mumma, deputy press secretary for the state Department of Health. Likewise, this figure also translates into an adoption of around 5%. Earlier this week, app user eligibility was extended from 18 and over to include 13 to 17 year olds with parental consent.
The spokeswoman said 343 cases confirmed their positivity for coronavirus through the app and uploaded their credentials, which led to 154 exposure alerts. Of those who received the alerts, 23 asked to be called back for help from a trained contact tracer.
California launched pilot projects in late September with the University of California at San Diego and the following month with the University of California at San Francisco to see how well exposure notification technology worked to inform people and slow down the spread of the virus, according to the California Department of Public Health. Communications office.
UCSD reports that 15,000 users, or about 30% to 50% of the campus community, have activated the software since its launch and that “over a dozen” verification codes have been sent to students and staff using the software and tested positive. UCSF estimates that half of its campus population has activated the tool.
“We are evaluating this technology as one tool among the many steps we can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in California,” a spokesperson wrote. Officials have since expanded CA Notify to other University of California sites.
The spokesperson, however, was unable to issue a number of exposure notifications given the technology’s “privacy design”.
“We don’t know how many people received exposure notifications. We know that some people have received notifications of exposure, which prompted them to seek advice on quarantine and testing. “
The spokesperson said the tool can strengthen traditional contact tracing efforts because “people can be near people they don’t know personally” who otherwise would have fallen through the cracks of the contact tracing.
According to Dr. Joshua Salomon, a public health policy expert at Stanford Medicine, an effective approach with technology depends on several factors, such as the number of people who decide to use the app, the likelihood of people reporting a positive test and people’s reaction. to a notification that they have been exposed – ideally by quarantining themselves, getting tested, and cooperating with the local health department’s contact tracing efforts.
“When all of these pieces are in place, this approach could help reduce the spread, especially from people who may be infected without knowing it,” Salomon said. try to control the outbreak, so with the right level of participation and membership, exposure notification apps could be part of that toolkit. “
The apps will not replace other measures that are still “urgently needed at this time”, such as wearing masks, keeping a distance, avoiding gatherings and a “robust” test, tracing and isolation system taken. in charge, he said.
Learn more about the technology here.
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