You Can Help The Fight Against Coronavirus By Logging Your Symptoms On This App

A new app which allows people to track their symptoms could be vital to slowing the spread of COVID-19 - and the makers want everyone to download it.

Designed by doctors and scientists at Kings College, Guys and St Thomas' Hospitals and health technology company Zoe Global, COVID Symptom Tracker allows users (both well and unwell) to self-report their symptoms daily.

It takes roughly one minute per day to report your symptoms on the app, and with enough people using it, it can collect vital data for the government - especially important given the lack of testing right now.

Currently, only people admitted to hospital are being testing for the virus, meaning a lot of cases are going undetected.

As of 24th March, 90,436 people in the UK had been tested for Covid-19, which is roughly between 5,000 and 6,000 tests per day - a figure the government wants to grow to 25,000 in four weeks.

PA)

Your data could then help scientists identify high-risk areas in the UK, who is most at risk (by better understanding symptoms linked to underlying health conditions) and how fast the virus is spreading in your area.


"If you would like to help out in this difficult time, then you can. Download the app and share daily your own status, even if you are well. With your help we can understand much better the situation up and down the country, how the disease presents itself to different people, and how it progresses," reads the description on App Store.

The app works in two parts. Firstly, users are asked to give health information such as your age and some health information, such as whether you have certain diseases.

PA)

Next, is the symptom tracking, where the app will ask you each day to let it know how you feel. It will also ask whether you have visited the hospital, what treatment you received there, and whether you have been tested for coronavirus.

In times like this, many of us are at a loss as to how we can help, so let this be a start.

COVID Symptom Tracker can be downloaded on Apple App Store or Google Play.

Topics: Life News, Coronavirus, Real Life, Health

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance writer working for Tyla. After graduating with an English Lit and Media degree from the University of Sussex, Ciara held jobs at GLAMOUR and Yahoo Style before packing up for a solo travelling trip around South America.

@ciarasheppard