Apple, Google guarantee much better coronavirus tracking with ‘direct exposure alerts reveal’

Apple and Google wish to make it much easier for health companies to join its coronavirus direct exposure notice system, producing a brand-new alternative that will permit them to assist individuals track and alert one another about coronavirus infections without needing to construct an app. 

The brand-new alternative, called direct exposure alerts reveal, will permit people to sign up with Apple’s and Google’s coronavirus alerts without requiring to download an app from their regional health department. This, the 2 business stated, will assist spread out adoption without putting pressure on health authorities, a few of whom have actually informed the tech business they do not have the resources to construct an app. 

Apple made the updates readily available for its iPhones and iPads with the iOS 13.7 release Tuesday, and Google stated it’ll make the brand-new system readily available for gadgets running Android 6.0 or greater with an upgrade later on this month.

“We are making it easier and faster for them to use the Exposure Notifications System without the need for them to build and maintain an app,” the 2 business stated in a joint declaration. The business stated they’ll continue to support public health authorities that have actually developed their own apps, as in Canada, however are developing this brand-new system to assist authorities that aren’t able to construct them. “Exposure Notifications Express provides another option for public health authorities to supplement their existing contact tracing operations with technology without compromising on the project’s core tenets of user privacy and security.”

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The move marks a shift for Apple and Google, which began working on the joint coronavirus effort in the spring, around when the coronavirus’ spread became more clear. As of the start of September, more than 25 million people have been infected around the world and more than 851,000 people have died, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. And while the spread has continued, Apple and Google’s project has struggled to gain wide adoption.

Apple and Google, in earlier iterations of their coronavirus system, relied on local health departments to build apps that plugged into the companies’ communication and security systems. The tech giants said they’d help authorities build apps, but largely put the onus on them to make the system work. As a result, only about 20 countries and regions have launched so far, including just six of the 50 states in the US. Further, only about half of US states and territories are exploring Apple and Google’s system.

By switching to the new system, also called EN Express by the companies, Apple and Google expect the dramatically simplified approach will draw in more health departments that may have decided against working with the companies because of the resources they’d need to commit toward building and maintaining an app.

To get the exposure notifications, people who use iPhones will be prompted that the feature is available and be able to turn it on in their settings. 

For Android phones, Google will auto-generate an app for users to download, so public health authorities won’t have to build or maintain the apps themselves. While this requires an extra step of Android users, a Google spokesman said the company believes it’s the best way to get the tools on as many different types of Android hardware as possible.

New approach

Apple and Google’s new approach allows health authorities to submit a “configuration file,” which will dictate how potential exposure notifications will be triggered, what steps they’ll advise people to follow afterward, and information on any other contact tracing efforts that may exist in their area. This, Apple and Google say, is much easier than building an app, while still ensuring people’s privacy and security.

“Public health agencies are carrying an extraordinary load in managing the novel coronavirus response,” said Scott J. Becker, head of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, in a statement provided by the companies. “The easier we make it for state and territorial public health agencies to develop and deploy, the sooner we can expand COVID-19 exposure notification in our communities and help end the pandemic.”

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.