Corona virus: help with removing lockdown…
Corona virus: help with removing lockdown with the help of this mobile app?
A variety of techniques are also being used to deal with the epidemic of Covid-19, which is keeping the whole world in its grip.
One of them is the mobile contact tracing technique. Under which all people can be tracked to see if they come in contact with any corona infected person. Or if they themselves are infected, then they are not giving this virus to anyone else.
If there is a contact tracing app in the mobile, then it can be found out about the people where they came. And whether they came in contact with any corona infected person. For this, this app uses Bluetooth sensor. If they are around a corona infected person, then an alert message will be sent to them immediately. One advantage of this app is that people can know about coming in contact with a corona infected person in the earlier period.
Contact tracing was first done by talking to people and patients. But, it takes a lot of time and effort. Then people also forget who they met. Then if he meets any stranger then it is difficult for him to recognize him.
But, with the contact tracing app, these hassles are reduced. If they work perfectly, they can play a big role in opening the lockdown.
Bluetooth technology is being used instead of GPS for mobile contact tracing app. The reason is that the phone’s battery costs less in it. They are more accurate. And GPS often do not work in multi-storey buildings.
Apple and Google announced this month that they are working on inventing contact tracing technology with the help of Bluetooth. They are preparing to launch it in the market by May. And the good thing is that both Apple and Android phones will be able to communicate under this technology. Companies say that this technology will be voluntary. If anyone wants, they should not use them.
In addition, governments in France, the United States and Britain are developing contact tracing apps to track the outbreak of the corona virus. Eight other countries of Europe are also developing such technology together. Earlier, with the help of contact tracing app in China, South Korea and Singapore, it has been used to detect corona virus infected people.
Professor Natal Helberger of Amsterdam University in the Netherlands says, “These apps will help to stop the outbreak of Covid-19. But these are not the magic pill that will end this epidemic. Because right now we have such an effective app There are many kinds of apprehensions about this. ”
Phil Booth of UK, who works in data protection, also says, “The technology does not matter to the virus. It just has to spread the infection.” Booth feels that if people start thinking that their mobile has a contact tracing app, then they will be saved from the Covid-19. ”
Jennifer Cobb of Cambridge University expresses a different apprehension. She says, “If contact tracing does not prove to be effective, then there will not be a sufficient amount of tests. Even if they are effective, they will interfere in people’s privacy.”
Phil Booth says that lockdown keeps us safe. This slows down the spread of virus infection. So far, no concrete evidence has been shown to stop the spread of viruses with the contact tracing app.
Test time :
Despite these apprehensions, many countries including India are keeping an eye on people through mobile apps. Government of India has launched Arogya Setu App. Who keeps telling those who download this app whether they are in safe zone or not. How much or less the risk of their becoming infected.
The countries that are at the forefront of this direction also believe that this technology is just a part of a wider campaign to compete with Covid-19. Phil Booth says that apps such as contact tracing cannot be very effective unless there are large-scale tests.
If the app gives warning that there is a risk of getting infected, then what is the guarantee that the person will get the test done immediately after this. Then, people also fear social boycott. For this reason too, he will abstain from coming forward.
Many people also feel that the new corona virus is similar to a flu virus. There is not much danger of this, as is being told. There is little possibility of such people coming forward and conducting the test.
Phil Booth says, “Technologies such as contact tracing and immunity passports are for the next pandemic. The culture of using them has not yet developed. Then companies and governments can even misuse people’s health data.”
China, South Korea and Singapore are at the forefront of making mobile contact tracing apps. Singapore’s Trace Together app is most appreciated. But, Jason Bay, who played a key role in developing this app, said in a recent article that such apps will be very effective only when they are widely used. At present, only one in six citizens of Singapore installed this app on their mobile. While for such an app to be effective, it is necessary that at least 60 percent of the population of a country use them.
Now this is not possible in a country like India. Because around 28 percent of the mobile users have a smartphone here. In such a situation, if a contact tracing app comes in India, then it will not be able to gather the necessary data.
Another drawback in the Singapore app was that the phone had to be unlocked at all times for this app. The contact tracing app stopped working when using another app.
Apart from this, countries like China also keep an eye on their citizens through these apps. Chinese citizens are used to monitoring their government. However, privacy is a big issue in western countries. In such a situation, how effective is the contact tracing app, it is difficult to say.
In Britain and Germany, strict laws are being made about the use of such apps, so that the right of citizens to privacy is not violated.
The most important thing is that all measures should be taken to deal with Covid-19, which can win the trust of the public. Do not instill mistrust and fear in people.
