Coronavirus or the COVID-19 infection is spreading like a wildfire across the world. While the epicentre of the disease was quick to identify, and people travelling from abroad are thoroughly checked, the initial symptoms take between two to 14 days to show up. During such times, it is difficult to track everyone who has come in close proximity with those who might be infected.
However, India’s premier engineering school the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have always come up with solutions in times of crisis. The coronavirus pandemic was no different. A team of IIT-Delhi students have developed an application to help trace individuals who come in close contact with COVID-19 positive cases.
The team comprises of five students from IIT-Delhi -- Vikas Upadhyay (PhD student from the computer science department), Gulsan Jahagid, Pankaj Singh (undergrad students from the computer science department), Anchal Sharma, and Arshad Nasser (PhD students, design department).
On downloading the app, a user will get the following updates:
- Statistics of his social distancing
- Regular updates and notifications about COVID-19
- Statistics of how many people (known and unknown) the user was in close contact with
- In case of any contact with a suspected or confirmed case, a preventive advisory from healthcare service providers
- Self-quarantining guidelines to be followed and action to be taken, in case of a potential suspect
- Alarm about maintaining social distancing
Healthcare providers or state governments downloading the app will get the following benefits:
- Easy and hassle-free backtracking of COVID-19 positive individuals
- Rapid reach and alarming to all suspected and infected population to take preventive measures
- Monitoring the global social distancing protocols and issues advisory
- East classification and reaching out to the vulnerable part of the society to prevent any possible damage
“We are ready to work with the government and are open to taking their suggestions on developing or implementing something new on the application. It should quickly go to the field so that people can start using it,” Vikas said.
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