PH launches COVID-19 tracking, emergency response app

MANILA, Philippines — An online and mobile application that can track individuals showing COVID-19 symptoms has been launched by a Manila-based developer and the Philippines’ task force against the dreaded disease.

Developed by Multisys Technologies Corporation, StaySafe.ph allows users to report their health condition as well as those of their family members.

It was created at no cost to the national government, the National Task Force against COVID-19 said in a statement.

Multisys founder and Chief Executive Officer David Almirol Jr. said the platform was designed to help the national government, local government units, frontliners, and private entities monitor the health condition of residents and conduct a more efficient contact tracing.

Almirol said the app has complied with the Data Privacy Act and will not ask users to disclose sensitive information.

“We are not asking for the birthdate because if you capture the birthdate, you are [violating] the data privacy, but we capture the age so we are not violating the data privacy,” Almirol said.

During the online registration process, users will be asked if they are feeling any of the COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, muscle pain, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath, and diarrhea.

Using the users’ answers, the platform will generate a result indicating mild, moderate or severe condition depending on the number of symptoms the user is manifesting. The data will then be sent to a “heat map” in the platform’s main dashboard, which shows the areas and the number of people exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

Frontliners, local government units, and private entities will get access to the admin dashboard to help them keep track of the number of confirmed cases, persons under investigation and monitoring, deaths, recovered patients, and the location of the patients.

They will also receive alerts to immediately respond to severe COVID-19 cases, and provide direct online consultations to the patients.

As of Thursday, the Philippines has 4,076 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 203 deaths and 124 recoveries.

https://technology.inquirer.net/98103/google-report-shows-how-filipinos-practiced-social-distancing-measures