More US States Launching COVID-19 Warning Apps

 

A growing number of American states are launching smartphone systems designed to warn people of possible exposure to COVID-19.

The release of the apps comes as parts of the United States continue to struggle with the spread of COVID-19 and after President Trump¹ announced that he had become infected.

States and local communities set their own restrictions² and guidelines for citizens to follow to reduce spread of the virus. The federal government did not build a nationwide app, so states have worked with developers to create their own.

The tool could be a big help to health officials trying to deal with a fast-spreading disease that many people do not even know they have. Many infected individuals show few or no signs of sickness. If a person learns they were near someone who later got infected, they could immediately isolate³ or seek treatment.

The apps are based on technology developed by Google and Apple. They use Bluetooth wireless⁴ signals to permit devices near each other to exchange information. A record of the exchange is created. Users who become infected can share the information to warn others who were near them about possible infection.

U.S. states have used this technology to develop their apps. But it is too early to know how effective the systems will be in fighting the spread of COVID-19.

Jeffrey Kahn is director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, a medical research organization in Baltimore, Maryland. When asked to give his opinion on such apps, he told VOA the success of such systems remains⁵ unknown.

"That's part of what's both interesting and frustrating⁶ about where we are," Kahn said. He added that since the technology is unproven and the systems are being launched in the middle of a public health emergency, "there's a lot of learning as we go."

One of the main barriers to making the apps a success in other places has been a low usage rate among the public. In Europe, several countries launched apps in recent months. But, few people downloaded them. Officials in some nations say the low usage rates make the technology ineffective.

Virginia became the first U.S. state to launch an app in early August. As of October 1, officials said about 576,000 Virginians had downloaded the app, called COVIDWISE. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that number of downloads represented about 7 percent of the state's population.

As of October 1, just 238 people had used the app to report they had become infected. But more than 50,000 Virginians have tested positive for COVID-19 since the app launched, the report said.

State officials said the app was advertised in a public campaign and they were not sure why more people had not downloaded it. The officials noted⁷ Virginia's app includes strong privacy protections. An explanation of the COVIDWISE app states that "no location data or personal information" is ever collected, stored or sent to state health officials or technology companies.

Google and Apple made it a condition of using their technology that COVID-19 apps developed by states could not use any phone location data.

That privacy requirement helps build people's trust in the apps, said Sarah Kreps, a professor at New York's Cornell University. She has studied how technology is being used to fight COVID-19.

"In order for these apps to be effective, you need to have enough of a critical mass of people who are willing to download and use the app," Kreps said. Public trust has to be established in nations where the government does not require such apps, she added.

So far, 11 U.S. states have issued COVID-19 warning apps based on the Apple-Google technology, a review by 9to5 Mac found.

In its latest mobile software version, Apple included a tool called Exposure Notification, which makes it easier for state officials to notify people who have been exposed. Users can turn it on or off. Google is expected to add the tool to Android devices soon.

Individual apps have not been built to work across state lines. But the technology website Vox reports that some states – including New Jersey⁸, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware – have teamed up to form regional partnerships⁹ by adding code to link the apps.

Words in This Story

exposure – n. coming in contact with something

app – n. a mobile phone program that performs a special function

isolate – v. to separate from other people or things

frustrate¹⁰ – v. make someone feel annoyed or less confident

positive – adj. in a medical test, positive means the person being tested has a disease or condition

location – n. a place or position

notify – v. to tell someone officially about something

regional – adj. relating to or coming from a particular area

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

4 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

10 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。