Local apps in the fight against COVID-19
Local apps in the fight against COVID-19
Local developers are doing their share to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the country through designing and publishing apps. These tools aim to help Filipinos monitor their personal health and vulnerability to COVID-19, and keep them informed.
Developed by a team of Master of Science in Innovation and Business students from the Asian Institute of Management, ENDCoV helps users assess their personal risk to the virus.
To do so, individuals will have to sign up and answer a survey which follows the triage algorithm approved by the Department of Health (DOH) and consistent with the World Health Organization’s latest surveillance definition of the disease. The app will then determine their health status and offer recommendations on next steps, like going through self-quarantine or getting tested for COVID-19.
Users can also keep information about the people they recently came in contact with, as well as the places they recently visited. These details are stored in the app privately for contract tracing.
The app conforms to the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Disclosure of Notifiable Diseases Act and RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act, as well as policies issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Office of the President.
Developed by an IT expert from Cebu, WeTrace uses geolocation for contact tracing and to generate patient mapping.
After installing the app, users will need to turn their mobile data on to activate it. WeTrace assigns each user a unique QR code, which ensures that their privacy is protected and data is secured. The app will then trace their timeline and movements, keeping track of the places they visited as well as other WeTrace users nearby. Should a user get infected, authorities can check on his or her WeTrace data for contact tracing. WeTrace will also notify those who were in contact with the infected user so they could monitor their status and seek immediate medical care.
Developed through the joint effort of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), COVID Watch PH is a registration and contact tracing app available to the public to aid in the monitoring of COVID-19 cases in the country. The app collects real-time data with accurate locating services, which will help guide the national government implement the needed action.
Aside from contact tracing, the app also provides triage assessment and enables a COVID patient to request for financial assistance to help them pay hospitalization bills.
The official app of the Philippine Red Cross, RC143 uses artificial intelligence as well as the wireless, geo-location and sensory capabilities of users’ smartphones to track one’s Exposure Risk Meter, or levels of exposure to the virus. It also notifies the user when they enter a high-risk zone and allows them to connect with the Philippine Red Cross for medical assistance in the event of a possible infection.
ENDCoV, WeTrace, COVID Watch PH, and RC143 are all available on the Google Play Store.
For the developers who’d like to help in the COVID-19 response efforts by publishing apps on the Google Play Store, file an advance notice to the Review team here.
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