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Virginia to Lead Charge
Technology

Virginia First to Google-Apple Coronavirus Notification App

August 11, 2020 | by Investis Digital
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Virginia is the first state to use the Google and Apple partnered smartphone technology that alerts users if they have been near an infected person.

As reported by Bloomberg in April, Google and Apple announced their partnership to develop smartphone technology that can alert users if they have been in the proximity of an infected person. Just as they promised the app is here and Virginia is the first state in the United States to use the technology.

Appropriately, titled, Covidwise, this app uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to quickly notify users who have likely been exposed so they can reduce the risk of infection for their friends and family and help Virginia stop the spread.

Reportedly, Virginia paid SpringML $229,000 to develop the Covidwise app, and it was funded by the CARES act.

So, how does it work?

When users test positive for COVID-19, they get a six-digit pin number provided by the Virginia Department of Health that they can input into their app. Once that six-digit pin is entered, the Virginia system tells other phones with the app that they that had been close to a person who tested positive, and that they have likely been exposed.

Will it be effective?

Only, time will tell what percentage of the population will download the app. An app that is used to provide users with population-related data relies on the installation and the running of the app to be effective and in this case, if this doesn’t happen, relying on app as a safety measure may not be the best line of defense. Researchers at the Oxford University suggested that 60% of the population would need to install an exposure notification app to suppress the virus. Around the world, other countries, such as Ireland and the UK are also working to develop COVID related apps to help slow the spread of disease.

Though we have yet to see the results of such innovative uses of technology, at Investis Digital, we know how important sharing information in a coherent, transparent, and sincere way can be. To learn more about current evolutions in the industry like this one, follow our Tech Tuesday posts or get in touch today!