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Toronto, ON – A new healthcare app now has the ability to digitally trace COVID-19 transmissions in real time. With the new Contact Tracer app, this made-in-Canada platform will automate the current time-consuming tracing process, identify those at high-risk of being infected with the coronavirus and in turn accelerate testing and self-isolation. By significantly decreasing the spread of COVID-19 and allow a more rapid return to normal life in this country.
“Right now, if someone tests positive for COVID-19, healthcare staff must manually trace the patient’s steps back by two weeks in the hopes of determining who transmitted to them and who they have exposed to the virus,” said Dr. Suleiman Furmli. “It’s an inefficient process that is allowing COVID19 to stay 10 steps ahead of us. If we’re to have a fighting chance, we must leverage existing technology and do it quickly.”
Contact Tracer uses a state-of-the-art approach that respects privacy while using real-time location tracking via your smartphone. It works as follows:
Users are able to download the app and turn on Bluetooth and Location Tracking
When two app users are in close proximity, anonymized IDs are swapped via Bluetooth and stored on the device
If a user tests positive for COVID-19, the app provides an instant record of all recent contacts and exposures within the population for up to the past 14 days.
Public Health Units can then activate a notification to be sent to those contacts, in real time informing them to self-isolate and arrange for testing.
“We are calling on all public health units and members of the public to quickly adopt solutions like the Contact Tracer app to suppress continued community COVID-19 transmission,” said Dr. Kashif Pirzada. “This virus is having a devastating impact on economic and normal life in Canada and around the world. We need to empower people to help public health authorities to put a stop to this virus. Every contact, every missed connection counts.”
Our aim is to produce an open-source solution on a non-profit basis, and work collaboratively with other groups around the world to provide and implement similar technology to stop the pandemic world-wide.
The app will be available on iOS and Android. Public health units interested in registering to use the Contact Tracer app can learn more at https://careclinic.io/contact-tracing/
Our Video Trailer Showing How the Contact Tracing App Works: https://youtu.be/P3DOzajThSQ
About CareClinic Software Inc.
Our mission is to simplify the way patients measure and care for their health by helping them make smarter health decisions between professional care. CareClinic is a VC funded patient engagement platform that enables patients to manage their health goals, lower costs and maintain continuum of care using data-driven insights. The Care Clinic app has over 30,000 active users and has been named a must-have health app by Huffington Post, as well as recognized by Forbes. Learn more at https://careclinic.io/
Project Team: Global Consortium against CovidMembers and Collaborators:
Dr. Kashif Pirzada (Canada)
Dr. Suleiman Furmli (Canada) – CareClinic.io
Sanjeev Singh (Canada) – Elocity.ca
Akshay Khanna (Canada) – CareClinic.io
Arjun Sehgal (Canada) – CareClinic.io
Arvind Kumar, PhD (India) – Elocity.ca
Rahul Ganapathy (India) – Atsuya Technologies
Potential Global COVID19 Contact Tracer Collaborations:
India – Atsuya Technologies
Singapore – TraceTogether App
USA – MIT Safe Paths
Release ID: 88951990