Leading nations have ramped up their fighting tactics against Coronavirus disease through digital platforms. The Indian government has joined the battle by building a Coronavirus Fighting App. Aarogya Setu App is one of the COVID -19 Apps made in India to prevent the spread of contagion. Let's throw some more light on the advantages and disadvantages of Coronavirus Fighting App.
Earlier efforts were put up by the State’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the development of universal applications named Corona Kavach & CoWin-20 in association with India’s Niti Ayog.
While the prototypes were still in their testing phase, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) Government of India deployed Aarogya Setu App after beta-testing. Now approved by the Prime Minister himself, Aarogya Setu is available to the general public as an open-source app.
Aarogya Setu, acting as the medium to keep you healthy, this Coronavirus Fighter App from India is proving its point in preventing the spread of the 2019-nCoV pandemic. Here are some definitive advantages of Aarogya Setu app for coronavirus you should know.
Considering the utmost emergency, NIC has deployed both versions of this coronavirus fighting app in India. Users can download it for free from Google Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store. This app takes less space on your android, iPhone, and iPad is easy to use.
In just three simple steps, you can register through AarogyaSetu and keep track of your health record using the instructions and guidelines provided. Based on your location, travel history, profession, etc., you can self-diagnose your symptoms and figure out what next move should be made in order to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
For all the statistics found and cured so far, this app renders a user-interface to keep you informed and updated in terms of figures. This app connects you with the government servers directly to generate the most reliable information.
Given that you may be contacted by an infected person in the future, this app enables you to take retest on your health status any time you want. Using a Unique Id to utilize your geographical information and spot a possible coronavirus infection, Aarogya Setu also hands you critical instructions to follow to prevent further contagion.
If you have been feeling symptomatic or have a headache, fever, sore throat, runny nose, or cough, Aarogya Setu guides you with the next precautionary steps.
The Indian Government has taken advanced steps tackling this global pandemic by deploying a single app in 10 regional languages. By maximizing the use of the Aarogya Setu App, the general public can be easily educated through Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and English.
The government of India ensures user’s data safety by keeping up with privacy concerns. If you do not want to continue using Aarogya Setu App, you may opt-out to unregister yourself at any time. The information you have supplied previously will be deleted automatically from the servers after 30 days of account deletion.
Bluetooth signals work within a range of 3 meters (nearly 10-feet) which can also turn out as one of the limitations of Aarogya App. It’s necessary to have a Bluetooth enabled phone to nearby to detect a possible infected case around you. The technology can yield overwhelming results given that different Bluetooth versions have a wider range.
Close contact with a COVID-19 patient can be detected within a range of 2 meters (6-feet). The advanced versions of Bluetooth in the latest smartphone devices vary from device to device. As the threshold range for a close contact is 2 meters, a Bluetooth connection is capable of identifying a contact within a wider range. This may create false results, and lead to confusion and distress among users.
The following chart is the range comparison of the latest versions of Bluetooth offering connectivity without any hindrance.
At times, most smartphones are difficult to detect other phones with Bluetooth visibility settings hidden. If an infected person has set his/her phone’s visibility hidden, your device may not be able to help. Also, there are also concerns whether this app works effectively in an interoperable environment or not. Smartphone owners may have difficulty spotting a potential case owning an iPhone.
GPS typically generates data depending on the accuracy of a location. Maps and location-targeted apps use geographic data that uses landmarks. Even you are located 5 or 6 meters away from anyone, the GPS may put you in close proximity to others. GPS-based data is not 100% sure to rely on which raises alarm about its use finding the patients spot-on.
Take archery, for example, even if you miss the target by an inch or two, you score highest on the chart. In an app based on Geolocation, it’s easy to expect precision-based data rather than accurate information.
All the users’ information gets stored on the government’s servers. That said, even if you are in a safe zone, the government has your personal and locational data. The government has the right to retain your personal information for as long as your account remains in existence.
The good news is, if your information doesn’t get uploaded to the servers, it will be removed from the app after 30 days from the date of registration. In case if your details are already put on the server, your details will be removed from the server after 45 days.
These conditions apply to the non-infected people only as per government laws.
Coronavirus Patients may take more than 2 weeks to exhibit symptoms of an infection. Considering that the Coronavirus Fighting App Aarogya Setu utilizes your last 2-weeks’ data (14 Days), the outcome may be ambiguous or somewhat misleading in exceptional cases.
Whatever seems effective at times like this should be beneficial to box the widespread of a global pandemic. Aarogya Setu App at the moment is one of the definitive solutions the Indian government has at the most basic level for the public interest. Aarogya Setu App not only helps prevent the infection but also educates society at the core level.
Using Aarogya Setu is pretty simple; you are required to enter your name initially, followed by your gender, professional details, recent traveling history, and symptoms you exhibit. You can start self-assessment on the basis of these details to detect if you are infected.
Aaraogya Setu App is directly connected with Servers to provide your accurate information about the ongoing pandemic crisis. It also uses your device's Bluetooth and GPS technology to track your contacts.
This application is based on Bluetooth technology and GPS system to assist you with contact tracing. based on your past 14-days of location history, Aarogya Setu app determines whether you are at risk of infection or not.
The Private information of users is stored on the government database, which upon further considerations, can be used later. Bluetooth technology may not always work due to compatibility issues between different devices. GPS technology may not always be accurate in case of speculating close distances or vicinity.
