Covid-19 Might Become Endemic: Initiate Your Coronavirus Tracker App Development Today

Let’s accept the reality. Battling the virus is hard. Makers of the modern world weren’t well prepared to face the pandemic of such magnitude. The global healthcare systems are struggling to cope with the escalating infection and mortality rate. Researchers are failing miserably in their attempts to prepare the vaccine for this deadly menace.

So, how does an individual shield himself from the virus? The only weapon left with us to prevent virus contractions is social distancing. With governments relaxing lockdown norms, there are high chances of community spread. What if technology can prevent widespread infections? With the WHO stating that the virus could become endemic, the Coronavirus tracker app development becomes the need of the hour. In this blog, let’s look at some of the best-performing tracker apps and how an entrepreneur can launch a COVID-19 tracker app.

‘Governments are rolling out tracker apps’ 

Several nations worldwide are relying upon technology to control disease spread. Some of the recently launched apps include,

• COVID Safe: This tracker app is developed and introduced by the Australian government. The app is leveraged on Bluetooth contact tracing technology. With massive reception among Australians, the smartphone application is secure and plays an integral part in containing the disease in the country.
• TraceTogether: The Singapore government brought this online contact tracing app to the limelight. It was ideally the first of its kind established on a national scale. The app is based on BlueTrace protocol, available both on Android & iOS streams.
• Arogya Setu: Unlike other tracker platforms, this app has been made mandatory by the Government of India. The app is helping the highly populous country to battle the virus to a considerable extent by providing quality health suggestions, the risk status of each individual, etc.
• My Sejahtera: Introduced by the Ministry of Health of the Malaysian government, the app provides self-assessments to the people of the country. The app is seamless, providing details about the nearest health centers, the precautionary measures, etc.

‘The Apple-Google coalition’ 

The recent buzz across the tech industry is the collaboration of Apple and Google to develop a contact tracing API. The interface can be used by the health agencies of the government to create a tracker app. The underlying concept of development is quite simple. By turning on Bluetooth in people’s smartphones, the app keeps a log of other smartphones that come near it. It notifies the users instantly if they get near an infected patient.

While this technology is unique and trustworthy, the adoption rate among people is a matter of concern. Experts say that, for the system to work efficiently, at least 60% of the nation’s people must adapt to it.

The magnitude of the situation is evident by the fact that even tech rivals have united for the common good of the globe. Interested in letting out your tracker app?

‘Contact tracing can be crucial to contain the disease’

Let’s visualize how contact tracing works in the modern world. Let’s consider two persons, X and Y.

• When X and Y meet, their phone exchanges a key or a unique code, if at all, they turn on the Bluetooth facility in their smartphones.
• Suppose X gets infected in the following days, he/she confirms the same through the app.
• The app then notifies those users who came in contact with X in the previous days.
• Now, Y can either self-quarantine or reach out to the nearest health center for help.

Community spread is the least thing to happen amid this pandemic. Contact tracing can go a long way in ensuring the safety of the people worldwide.

‘Your app must provide the utmost care through its features’ 

Now that you’re all set to develop a COVID-19 tracker app, know the vital features that can help users stay safe from virus contractions.

• COVID-19 Instructions: It is better to prevent the disease in the first place. Your app can provide instructions and safety measures to users, thereby letting them stay updated about the spread of infection.
• Self-assessment: This is a crucial feature of your tracker app. You can assess users for any symptoms relating to the Coronavirus. This can be done by including a questionnaire of whether the user is experiencing symptoms like cough, chest pain, diarrhea, etc. You can let them reach out to the nearest health centers in case of contingencies.
• COVID-19 news updates: Your app can offer exclusive updates on the infected rates in different countries from reliable and verified sources. This way, users will consider your app the one-stop destination for all details regarding the current situation.
• Location preferences: These location preferences work two-fold. One, they assist in the contact tracing facility and two, they can aid in providing locality-specific results to users.
• Push notifications: One of the primary uses of these tracker apps is to warn users during emergencies. Users cannot access the app every time they step out. They can be updated instantly in the case of warnings or emergencies in the form of push notifications.

‘Privacy is the priority’ 

People are hesitating to use Coronavirus tracker apps, mainly due to privacy issues. As these apps record sensitive user information, including their personal details, medical history, etc., there shouldn’t be any room for mishandling data or data thefts by hackers. So, what’s the way out? How can a tracker app ensure privacy and aid users regarding the disease simultaneously?

• It is advisable to collect only the most necessary data. Even this must be done only with the consent of the users.
• Encrypting databases becomes mandatory. Besides, provide access only to a few restricted admins to prevent mishandling of data.
• Provide a well-crafted privacy policy, letting users know who can handle their data and where it is stored.
• ‘Data Localization’ is a significant technique that can add to the security of users’ data. The primary intent behind this technique is that instead of storing records on the cloud, you can have a database restricting its usage to a particular region or a country.

‘Make sure your app complies with medical standards’

Your online platform must adhere to the latest medical standards, being a healthcare app. Some of these standards include,

• HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act provides privacy standards to protect patients’ health records. It lays down three regulations that are necessary for an app to be HIPAA compliant. They include administrative, physical, and technical types.
• EHR: The Electronic Health Record is an act of storing patients’ medical history in the electronic form. The standard is mainly focused on Protected Health Information (PHI).

To sustain your app in the long run, following both the HIPAA and EHR standards can come in handy.

‘Let us decode the myths’ 

Both people and entrepreneurs are still concerned about using and developing tracker apps. Let’s clarify the doubts in the air here,

• ‘Are tracker apps safe?’: Well, if the app isn’t safe, most of the governments would have dropped the idea in the first place. It is the app’s privacy settings and data handling systems that can ensure the application’s safety. Even if you’re reluctant not to enable contact tracing functionality, you can still make use of these apps’ self-assessment and other features.
• ‘What if my data is misused?’: Once again, it is the app’s privacy policy that you need to identify and work upon in case you are developing the app. Assigning restricted and verified sources to access sensitive information is vital to enhance users’ trustworthiness.
• ‘The app will be of no use after the pandemic’: According to the recent statement of the WHO, there are high chances that the pandemic could become endemic. While we pray that not to happen, the app will significantly benefit people by letting them stay cautious and updating them on the safety norms. Besides, Appdupe offers the tracker app as an add on, as well. You can integrate the app into your existing app, thereby helping your users stay updated on the current situation.

How can Appdupe help you with the best-in-class Coronavirus Tracker App? 

At Appdupe, we deploy the best minds on the field to assist you with the Coronavirus tracker App development. We timeline the different phases of development beforehand. Our process includes,

• Analyzing your specifications: Initially, we’ll hear your requirements and visions about the tracker app. Our seasoned team of experts will prepare a well-crafted plan that suits the best for you.
• Designing the UI/UX: After your consent, we begin our framework design. Most of the tracker apps nowadays are challenging to navigate. Our graphic designers will design an intuitive and user-friendly UI/UX.
• Developing the app: The next process is to incorporate features and functionalities into your online platform. Besides, we precisely develop a robust back-end, thereby securing the app from data thefts.
• Testing the app: The app undergoes rigorous testing procedures. This makes sure that the platform is free from bugs and glitches.
• Deploying the app: The app, with its seamless workflow, is deployed on major platforms like Android, iOS, etc., as per your convenience.

Signing off, 

We’re pretty sure that this blog would have helped you clarify your concerns regarding the COVID-19 tracker app. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur who is planning to launch a tracker app for global well-being, join hands with us who share the motive as you. Schedule a meeting with our experts at Appdupe, and we’ll scale your app in the shortest time possible!

Author

Marketing is my soul mate and writing is my side kick. Using my writing skills to share the knowledge of app development and upcoming technologies.