Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
An ongoing study already provides a daily picture of Covid-19 in the UK – yet the government has failed to endorse the research.
On 18 June, after several promised launch dates had been embarrassingly breached, the government finally abandoned its attempt to get an NHS Track and Trace app operational this side of any second Covid-19 wave. The app was supposed to use Bluetooth signals between smartphones to enable contacts of coronavirus-positive people to be tracked, traced and isolated (TTI).
Will it matter, the loss of this high-tech guardian angel? Only marginally. The majority of a Covid-19 patient’s high-risk encounters – prolonged or close face-to-face contact – will be memorable if prompted by a skilled human contact tracer. The app might have helped with tracing in anonymous settings, such as on public transport, but there is little evidence globally that such apps actually much reduce overall Covid-19 transmission. We’re probably better off continuing to emphasise frequent hand hygiene, the observance of social distancing, and the use of face-coverings – all backed up by rigorous TTI performed in the traditional, labour-intensive way.
www.newstatesman.com
Very interesting 🙂
On 18 June, after several promised launch dates had been embarrassingly breached, the government finally abandoned its attempt to get an NHS Track and Trace app operational this side of any second Covid-19 wave. The app was supposed to use Bluetooth signals between smartphones to enable contacts of coronavirus-positive people to be tracked, traced and isolated (TTI).
Will it matter, the loss of this high-tech guardian angel? Only marginally. The majority of a Covid-19 patient’s high-risk encounters – prolonged or close face-to-face contact – will be memorable if prompted by a skilled human contact tracer. The app might have helped with tracing in anonymous settings, such as on public transport, but there is little evidence globally that such apps actually much reduce overall Covid-19 transmission. We’re probably better off continuing to emphasise frequent hand hygiene, the observance of social distancing, and the use of face-coverings – all backed up by rigorous TTI performed in the traditional, labour-intensive way.
The NHS app has been abandoned but no app is necessary to trace government ineptitude
An ongoing study already provides a daily picture of Covid-19 in the UK – yet the government has failed to endorse the research.
www.newstatesman.com
Very interesting 🙂