The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very turbulent and frightening affair, and even though there are vaccines under trial – there is no telling how long this pandemic is here to stay. All over the world, there have been more than 87.9 million infected, with more than a million deaths. In these troubled times marked by social distancing and quarantine, mobile apps have provided an unusual respite from the monotony of daily life. Apps can also have various health benefits.
In the United States, surveys have shown that the average smartphone user has more than a 100 apps installed on their phone that they use on a pretty regular basis. Governments and private organizations all over the world have realized that they need to turn to mobile apps as a way of encountering the pandemic and its effects. Especially for infection tracking and health promotion, mobile apps can make a big impact. Good practices can have a large positive effect.
1. Contact Tracing: Due to the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, it is just vital to identify all the people that a person has come into contact with in the 2 weeks previous to getting infected. Contact tracing is very important so that the number of infections can be minimized and all the safety precautions can be taken. Research has shown that proper contact tracing can actually slow the spread of the contagion and help flatten the curve.
The Government of India has actually come up with a contact tracing app known as Aarogya Setu, which makes use of AI and bluetooth data to trace the contact of people infected by the virus. However, there have been certain concerns expressed about the safety of users’ personal information that has been shared with the app. However, it’s important to realize that contact tracing apps are vital tools as of right now – even though they may be far from perfect.
2. Accurate Information App: The COVID-19 pandemic has also brought along with a rampant wave of misinformation and false claims, much of it peddled by conspiracy theorists with the help of WhatsApp forwards and social media posts. It is very important to find a reliable data bank where all of the information is reliable and trustworthy. One example is the COVID data bank that was established by John Hopkins University. It’s one of the most trusted sources of COVID data.
The official and correct amount of cases in a neighbourhood, city or country can be tracked with the help of a reliable information app. By subscribing to the statistics provided by the JHU data bank and other reliable sources, people can learn a lot about this virus. It is very important to not fall prey to the bad info and false claims that are being peddled by conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers. A reliable mobile app can be very helpful here.
3. Grocery Delivery App: Due to social distancing measures and stay at home orders, it has not been possible for many people to go out and take care of their regular errands. They have not been able to go shopping for groceries and such due to the pandemic. This kind of situation demands a reliable grocery delivery app that can provide paying customers with all the stuff that they need – in the form of groceries, food, vegetables, fruits and more.
These days, food delivery apps have started to provide grocery delivery services as well. In India, Zomato and Swiggy – two of the biggest food delivery apps – have started to liaise with many grocery stores across the country to provide products directly from the stores themselves. This kind of innovation has been a major help to those who are trapped at home because they have been infected. Food delivery is also a major area that needs to be tapped right now.
4. COVID Testing App: One of the main reasons why there is so much rampant misinformation about the number of COVID cases is the lack of reliable testing. Many people are confined at home and they cannot leave the house to go to a COVID testing centre. This calls for the development of COVID testing apps that allows users to get in touch with labs that offer COVID tests. A tester can then visit your home to collect your sample.
In India, the platform Practo is offering such services – and this is a valuable area because there are not many such apps active in the country. Practo allows users to book a testing appointment with the firm Thyrocare, which is one of the top diagnostic firms in the country. After an appointment has been secured, a trained and certified phlebotomist will arrive at your house and collect a sample for testing. You need a physician’s reference to access this service.
5. Personal Health and Fitness Apps: One major area that has really suffered during this pandemic is the personal health and fitness of people who have been stuck at home for the better part of a year. In this kind of situation, personal health and fitness tracking apps can be very useful. By inspiring people to exercise and engage in physical activity from the confines of their own home, people can be motivated to be more healthy and eat well.
Diet tracking is also a very important function of such apps, as they allow users to track what they have eaten and how many calories they have consumed. Most health apps of today allow people to track their meals and also count other stats, such as the total number of steps or calories that they have burnt. If you pair this kind of app with a heart health monitor or a smart watch, then it would be a great idea.
These are the primary app ideas that can help the world in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, which is one of the major challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century. By adopting these apps and investing in them, you can help to usher in a new future for humanity.