World Bank Praise Aarogya setu app – Burning Issues

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TECHNOLOGY TO FIGHT AGAINST COVID 19

Apple and Google might be rivals in the world of smartphone software, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented announcement from both. In a first, the two companies are coming together to help public authorities with contact tracing of COVID-19 patients.

INSPIRATION CAME FROM

NITI Aayog’s Amitabh Kant took to Twitter to post, “India leads the way in contact tracing for Covid19: privacy first by design, secure, robust and scalable to billion users.” Further tagging Apple’s Tim Cook and Google’s Sundar Pichai Kant said, “Glad to see Apple and Google joining hands to develop contact tracing on the lines of Aarogya Setu. ”

WHAT IS AAROGYA SETU APP? HOW DOES IT WORK?

The app, which is a coronavirus tracker of sorts works on the basis of contact tracing and can help a user identify possible coronavirus ‘hotspot’ around his or her area. It can help people stay safe and adopt neccessary precaution in some areas where there are cases and accordingly, help stop or prevent community transmission to an extent.

DETAILS

By the basis of geotagging, it can also alert a specific user about their proximity to a nearby infection case or hotspot. The app also helps users self-identify their risk and monitor their health assessment, considering the times when it can get difficult (and most of all, is not particularly safe to step out and visit health clinics). Aarogya Setu app also helps people identify the symptoms, alert them about the best safety precautions and other relevant information concerning the spread of COVID-19.