Innovative Tech for Public Health: Hungary's VirusContact App
In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, a Hungarian web developer has introduced VirusContact, a free app designed to notify individuals if they’ve been in close contact with someone who later tests positive for the virus.
Utilizing Bluetooth technology, VirusContact records encounters with other app users within a 10-meter radius, capturing the time and location of each interaction. If a user is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can press a button to alert everyone they've crossed paths with in the past two weeks, even if they were strangers.
\"If you became infected, you would tell your family and friends. But this way, you can inform everyone you've come in contact with,\" explained VirusContact CEO Krisztian Werderits.
The app has received praise from Hungarian public health experts for its potential to enhance community health monitoring. However, the World Health Organization remains cautious, highlighting the complexities of managing community transmission and data privacy concerns.
Community transmission of COVID-19 presents significant challenges to health authorities worldwide. With the virus spreading more easily in communities, tracking its movement becomes increasingly difficult, leading many nations to impose strict restrictions on personal mobility.
By providing a tool that can swiftly notify individuals of potential exposures, VirusContact aims to empower users to take proactive measures in preventing further transmission, supporting global efforts to control the pandemic.
Reference(s):
Free app will alert all previous passers-by if you later test positive
cgtn.com
