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Would you use a Covid exposure notification app?

Would you use a Covid exposure notification app?

1904
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 79

1904
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 79

contact
9/28/2020 at 9:17 PM

What happens if one crosses ways with someone who has covid?
Does it automatically mean 14 days quarantine?

Might be an expensive service to society for some.
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

No
9/28/2020 at 9:39 PM

it doesn't automatically mean 14 day quarantine. It just means as an alert to be aware that you had near contact and to monitor your health.
Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

No
9/28/2020 at 10:06 PM

ww1904 said "What happens if one crosses ways with someone who has covid?
Does it automatically mean 14 days quarantine?

Might be an expensive service to society for some. "
The app apparently sends info back and forth to the phone of the person with covid positive result. If you've had 2meter or less exposure for 15mins or more you will be notified. Again this app is completely subjective of a person who is confirmed positive uploading their one time user key and if a person is responsible enough to upload a one time user key you'd think they would be responsible enough not to be out in public with a confirmed covid case.

Edited by Cjford, 2020-09-28 22:06:48
Sylv
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 322

Sylv
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 322

Had it on my phone since it was released.
9/29/2020 at 3:44 PM

I've had it on my phone since the app was first made available. I was upset that Manitoba never used it. I'm very pleased to see it will now be active in Manitoba. The conspiracy theorists will say what they will. I will use it, knowing it is safe to use for the purpose it was designed and hope that the majority of people with smartphones do the same.
Simonwalcal
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 839

Simonwalcal
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 839

..........
9/29/2020 at 4:19 PM

Cjford said "The app apparently sends info back and forth to the phone of the person with covid positive result. If you've had 2meter or less exposure for 15mins or more you will be notified. Again this app is completely subjective of a person who is confirmed positive uploading their one time user key and if a person is responsible enough to upload a one time user key you'd think they would be responsible enough not to be out in public with a confirmed covid case.

Edited by Cjford, 2020-09-28 22:06:48"
The point is that the person may not know that they are a carrier, much like most of the community transmission cases. The app simply helps others nearby to take precautions if necessary.

What that means may require a call be made to health links. However, best to know than to not know.

Also, having witnessed the legnths that some people will go though to avoid even the most modest disease fighting measures (like refusing to wash hands or sanitize before entering a store!), I know such irresponsible people exist.

And just as some people are problematic, so to are the establishments that allow the whinny minority to put the cautionary majority at risk by continually overlooking such infractions.
theeagle
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 411

theeagle
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 411

asymptomatic
9/29/2020 at 5:07 PM

Cjford said "The app apparently sends info back and forth to the phone of the person with covid positive result. If you've had 2meter or less exposure for 15mins or more you will be notified. Again this app is completely subjective of a person who is confirmed positive uploading their one time user key and if a person is responsible enough to upload a one time user key you'd think they would be responsible enough not to be out in public with a confirmed covid case.

Edited by Cjford, 2020-09-28 22:06:48"
A person can be asymptomatic for up to 2 weeks PRIOR to showing symptoms. Responsible person gets a positive result. They enter their code. Then every person with a close contact of 15 minutes or more in the last 2 weeks gets a notification. Then they can self monitor. Yes this does nothing to help with the ignorant idiots who go out with symptoms, and just don't give a damn about anyone else. It is just one more tool to help reduce the spread.
Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

9/30/2020 at 8:56 AM

theeagle said "A person can be asymptomatic for up to 2 weeks PRIOR to showing symptoms. Responsible person gets a positive result. They enter their code. Then every person with a close contact of 15 minutes or more in the last 2 weeks gets a notification. Then they can self monitor. Yes this does nothing to help with the ignorant idiots who go out with symptoms, and just don't give a damn about anyone else. It is just one more tool to help reduce the spread. "
I didnt realize it did contacts in the past thought it was only future contacts after confirmed positive.
JosephC
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 135

JosephC
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 135

Not very useful
9/30/2020 at 9:51 AM

Whatever your thoughts on the app and its privacy - it's a neat idea, and something innovative, but it's virtually useless.

Why?

Because as of early September, total downloads of this app equaled about 15% of Ontario's population. Total downloads isn't the same as active users, which is often a much lower number. With such low uptake, the effectiveness is very poor.

The government has never seemed to like taking about active users for their apps. Unless active users is very high, the app is a neat idea on theory, but virtually useless in practice.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

App
10/1/2020 at 12:56 PM

Now launched in Manitoba as per link below...

From the link, those with privacy concerns should note this line:
“ The COVID Alert app does not collect personal information or health data, and does not know or track the location, name, address or contacts of any user. All aspects of the app are completely voluntary.”

https://news.gov.mb.ca/news?archive=&item=49330
Simonwalcal
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 839

Simonwalcal
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 839

...............
10/2/2020 at 9:20 AM

Considering how many people I know that are spending time in places like arenas (since some hockey is back) and restaurants, I hope people quit irrationally rejecting this app.

The day you bought a smartphone was the day you traded your privacy for convenience in the eyes of big borther (social media, government . . . take your pick). The difference between this app and (say) FB is that you are the primary beneficiary in this case. You're not the product.

Let new tech benefit the community. For once.

Edited by Simonwalcal, 2020-10-02 09:22:46
Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

Cjford
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 419

Couldn't agree more
10/2/2020 at 9:26 AM

Simonwalcal said "Considering how many people I know that are spending time in places like arenas (since some hockey is back) and restaurants, I hope people quit irrationally rejecting this app.

The day you bought a smartphone was the day you traded your privacy for convenience in the eyes of big borther (social media, government . . . take your pick). The difference between this app and (say) FB is that you are the primary beneficiary in this case. You're not the product.

Let new tech benefit the community. For once.

Edited by Simonwalcal, 2020-10-02 09:22:46"
if you have a smartphone your data is being collected whether you choose to believe it or not. Its no coincidence that something you were looking up or doing in one app all of a sudden is showing up in your Facebook ads for example.
Abbysmum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5039

Abbysmum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5039

battery
10/2/2020 at 10:26 AM

I'm hearing reports that it's seriously eating into battery life on some phones and causing them to overheat and crash. Has anyone had experiences with that?

I won't use it for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because I don't have the ability to. You need to have a constant data connection for it to work apparently, which I don't. I also use old phones. This app, while in theory a good idea, is really only accessible to those who have the financial means to do so - new phone, data connection.
JessieJay
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 796

JessieJay
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 796

no
10/2/2020 at 1:40 PM

Not going to bother-i already had covid19. No idea where i got it from as I was very, very careful, had no close contact with anyone and so far as i know no contact at all with anyone confirmed positive for the virus. I am very careful with everything that comes into the house, I have never been in any large gatherings, nor even small ones. So, I have little worry about coming in contact with a positive case now though I am still wearing a mask, keeping my distance from everyone and going virtually no where other than shopping for groceries.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Alert app
11/17/2020 at 6:49 PM

With there now being five reported instances of COVID-19 in local Brandon schools over the past three days, I hope people are giving the installation of this app further thought. I'd feel comfortable in suggesting that it would be naive to think that these schools are the only place that the virus has been in the community over the past two weeks. Folks should first and foremost be staying home unless its essential to go out, but in cases where people do go out to somewhere essential such as a grocery store this app has the potential to fill in a lot of blanks if enough people have it installed.

From the link below:

"COVID Alert does not use GPS or track your location. It has no way of knowing:
-your location
-your name or address
-your phone's contacts
-the health information of anyone you're near
Nobody will get any information about you or the time you were near them. "

So far there have been more than 5,000,000 downloads in Canada and nearly 5,000 keys entered (i.e. nearly 5000 people tested as COVID positive have entered their key in the system to help with others identifying their contact)

More details are at the link below:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html