UK Confirms Plans For Coronavirus Tracing App

Last week it was revealed that Google and Apple were in a collaboration to create a Coronavirus tracking app. The main purpose of it was to give people a quick and convenient means of finding out if they’d been in contact with anyone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Well, in a report via the BBC, it looks like they’re not alone in this endeavor. The UK government is also currently looking at developing a similar app to help spread the word and minimize contact.

Coronavirus Tracking App

So, how will it work? Well, via an NHS app, it will look to connect and generate contacts via the user’s phonebook. From there, if you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, you can use the app to anonymously and automatically notify all of your friends and family. Specifically, to warn them if they may have recently been in personal contact with yourself. More so, however, if you are then 100% confirmed as having the virus, this can then be upgraded to a ‘red’ warning. In these instances, those who have been in contact with the person are told that they should observe a quarantine.

All in all, it sounds like a good way to use modern technology to help limit the spread. There is, however, likely to be one major issue. And no, it’s not privacy concerns.

What Do We Think?

While this sounds like an excellent idea, there is probably one huge problem with it. Namely, that by the time it is finally released it may come too late to have met its ideal purpose. I mean, let’s be honest, developing apps, particularly one of this nature, isn’t straight forward and with the government clearly requiring to outsource the work, there’s going to have to be a fair amount of QA.

On the whole though, it’s a smart concept and if an app was available, I’d probably download and use it. In these worrying times, you can’t be too careful!

What do you think? Do you think a Coronavirus warning app would be a good idea? Would you use it yourself? – Let us know in the comments!