Following its launch in the U.K., the new COVID Symptom Tracker app is due to launch in the United States on March 26. The app was designed by doctors and scientists at King’s College London, Guys and St Thomas’ Hospitals, and Zoe Global Limited, a health tech firm. Those who download the app give a bit of background health information so the scientists can find high-risk areas and then every day you report whether you’ve had any symptoms.
According to the product homepage, the main goals of the project include finding high-risk areas, finding who is most at risk by better understanding symptoms linked to underlying health conditions, and finding out how fast the virus is spreading in your area. By reporting data to the app, you can help slow the outbreak as well as help identify those at risk sooner.
The app itself is still fairly new and you can tell this from the overwhelming 1-star reviews on the Play Store over a bug that makes it difficult to create an account. With that said, the developers are trying their best to fix errors that have been reported so stay on the lookout for new updates. With all that said, other users have created an account and filled in the questions without issue.
As the virus sweeps from east to west, the United States’ reported COVID-19 cases are increasing drastically day by day. If enough people download this new app, authorities in the country may be able to identify the worst-hit areas and direct more resources to the places that need them most.
Head over to the COVID Symptom Tracker homepage to find the app"s download links for Android and iOS.