Will you download the app?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

Interesting developments:

The battle against coronavirus is going hi-tech, with Australians to be asked to download a phone app that will monitor their movements — but only with their express permission.

The Federal Government believes restrictions on the community could be eased in the months ahead if there's more testing, greater surveillance of those infected by the coronavirus and much faster tracing of those they've had contact with.

It is developing a mobile phone app with the private sector to help monitor Australians' daily interactions.

The ABC understands the app will be ready in a fortnight but the Government believes it would need at least 40 per cent of Australians to voluntarily sign up for it to be effective.

The app would be opt-in only and not mandatory.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-14/coronavirus-app-government-wants-australians-to-download/1214...

This app will make contact tracing easier as it will enable authorities to contact people via their phones if they have come in contact with someone who subsequently tests positive.

Personally, count me in.  I can always delete the app once this pandemic has settled.  If I was to become really concerned I’d simply get a new phone, new number, new sim! OR, simply turn off Bluetooth 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

and that is fine, you do not need the app.  There are many people moor whom the app would not be helpful.  Those who live remotely and those who have little or no contact with others.

[hannahmallory]

Will not.  They already have enough information.

Absolutely no.  I will not download the app.

[not_for_sale2025 · Accepted solution]

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@imastawka wrote:

but that won't identify any 'strangers' they've been in contact with. That's where the app is most useful

How?  If the other person hasn't downloaded the app?

Doesn't make sense.

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Exactly, both people coming in contact must have the app and the phone on their person.

In an ideal situation where everybody did, the Health Department would contact individuals who came in contact with a person who tested positive. Then the individuals would be asked to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor their health. It wouldn't help if the infected person had already passed it on to a contact. But it would prevent further spreading if the person/s were confirmed to have contracted it too.

So it can't prevent you from catching the virus. But it can alert you to a contact who was/is positive and prevent further spreading. Clearly, this would only be helpful if the majority of people downloaded the app and carried their phones everywhere outside their homes. Personally, I would do it when I go shopping etc if most other people would do it too.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

the upside of people downloading the app is that it will mean those tasked with manually doing the contact tracing will have at their disposal a way of identifying some of the people an infected person came in contact with.  That will let them devote more time to tracing those who do not have the app.

Without the app the tracers will need to manually trace EVERY contact of an infected person . . . a time intensive, cumbersome and inaccurate task that will take longer, giving time for more community transmission.

[viewmont1071 · Accepted solution]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

For the first time ever on these boards I am going to play the age card....I am a stupid old woman who is too dumb to see how it will work.  It makes no sense at all to me.

As I never leave home except for medical appointments I doubt that it will ever be necessary to contact me anyway.

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as a scenario in 4 months time you go to your Drs appointment. Another in the waiting room is CO-VID 19 positive but asymptomatic....they are only there for an ingrowing toenail....after some banter their Dr decides to test them for CO-VID19 .. just for a laugh Once a positive test is confirmed anybody that was in the waiting room that has the app and spent 15 minutes in the waiting room the same time as the asympyomatic patient is automatically notified. Their exposure can be digitally traced down to the second and the mm.

On the way home one of those with the app go to the chemist and the reject shop because the dingleberrys were on special.

Anybody that has the app and spent 15 minutes and came within catching distance  at the chemist and the reject  shop will be

notified about the same time as the original phone owner  that was in the DR surgery is notified

As you do not have the app it takes a bit longer (days possibly) to check the appointment times manually to see if you fall into the time period when the asymptomatic patient was in the waiting room.  As the manual times/distance trace can only be estimated  and larger overlapping scatter gun like sample of people will be notified manually.

Days later you test positive...on the way home from the Drs when you were first infected you went to the chemist and the reject shop too because the dingleberrys were on  special.

Because your movement times and contact distances can only come only come from your memory manual tracing at the chemists and reject shop eftpos or healthcare card tracing may mean that 100's of people will need to be notified and tested....but it's too late by then...dys lter the horse has bolted and a cluster infection is born..........

The app gives expediency to the contact trail....

To use an a simple analogy think that the app is notifying you that you have had an infectious contact via email almost instantly whereas with no app it's akin to being notified via snail mail days later after a health boffin public servant does some gazintering and postulating.

[lyndal1838]

Thanks viewmont....it makes a bit more sense now but I still think it will be unlikely to affect me to ny great degree.

My doctor and dentist have rooms in a large old house with 3 separate waiting areas....no-one gets past the door until they have their temperatures taken.

There is also a large wrap around verandah which now has chairs spaced appropriately.....patients can stay outside if they prefer.

The practice is largely elderly people who have been with this practice for many years and are in the same boat as I am and are already self isolating.

Due to other disabilities I never go into the chemist (or any other shops for that matter)....just the doctor or dentist and then home.

Other family members do the running around.

[viewmont1071 · Accepted solution]

No worries Lyndal BTW I dont think you are stupid nor dumb and you are never too old. 

I should have added that in my scenario that ole mate with the ingrowing toenail had the app.

If they didn't have the app and contact needed to be manually traced then as soon as a possibly infected person is contacted and they do have the app then they would be asked to voluntarily upload their phones bluetooth contact data and tracing would be made much quicker and easier.

That's why if 40% or more do get the app  it is still more expedient than 100% "snail mail" non app investigative tracking.

The app does not geolocate so it cannot log where the contact occurred or a persons movements it can only identify phones that came

within a distance that may cause infection.  After 21 days the phones records are updated daily whereby the oldest days contact drops off.

The records are not held centrally on a server. They are held in the phone and cannot be forcefully accessed. The decision to upload is voluntary and lays with the phones owner.

[lyndal1838]

  My phone and I are as dumb as each other and I really have no need to upgrade at present.

[bright.ton42]

I don't get it why in order for it to register contact you have to have been in contact with the affected person for 15 minutes.  WhaT am I missing?   Doesn't that mean it wouldn't pick up anyone affected coughing on you say in a shopping centre? 

I'm another totall dumb one who does not understand technology much. 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

the Chief Medical Officer addressed this in his press conference this afternoon:

"You have to make a balanced assessment on that. Obviously you wouldn't want to be capturing every brief contact. Our case definition based on the epidemiology that we've seen around the world, that that sort of level of time in a contact presents a much higher risk than just brushing past someone in the corridor. We don't want to give the contact tracers a list of 1,000 phone numbers when there are 25 that are much more relevant in terms of potential contact, so those decisions are made on the best available epidemiological advice at the time.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-27/coronavirus-australia-live-news-covid-19-latest/12187642

I understand your “coughed on” example, in which case I would say that if anyone is coughed on and later develops flu-like symptoms then go and get a COVID-19 test.  They are now testing anyone who presents with symptoms regardless of travel history or having been in direct contact with an infected person.