Finnish health authorities will launch on Tuesday August 4 the first trial of their app to track the Covid-19 with the help of smartphones, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said in a press release.
Authorities said they hope that with this app, people will "help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and protect their own and their loved one's health." THL expects that the application will speed up the process to reach those who have been exposed to the virus and cut the chains of infection.
How the app works
Users can download the Finnish coronavirus tracking app to their phones from the app store.
Its operation is simple: every time a user is diagnosed with Covid-19 infection, they will receive a code from their health center that must be entered on the mobile. Hereafter, other users with whom the patient has been in close contact will receive notification of possible exposure and instructions to contact a medical center.
“On a trial basis, we want to make sure this whole chain works. The application must be clear, easy to use and absolutely secure for users, and the phone must reliably identify close contacts. In addition, the user interface for professionals must be smooth, ”says Aleksi Yrttiaho, THL's Director of Information Management.
Source: THL.
Privacy
THL assures in its press release that there are no risks that the privacy of users is violated. "The operation of the app is based on regularly changing and random identifiers from which users cannot be directly identified. It is also not possible to know who is infected with the application."
The trial has been organized in two phases. This week, a few users will install the app on their phones, which will start to detect close contacts.
During the the second week, the trial run will expand to a professional interface. It provides the patient with a code that can be used to alert other users of the application to potential exposure.
“The test users are employees of the Pirkanmaa Hospital District and the City of Helsinki. There are a few dozen of them in total. In addition, the application developer Solita, Kela, SoteDigi and THL will participate in the trial, ”says Yrttiaho.
Voluntary, but...
The actual launch of the app is scheduled for September.
The health authorities say that its use is voluntary, but they insist that the more people download it to their mobile and use it, the more helpful it will be.
THL claims to have investigated "the Finns' willingness to use the app" and found that "their interest is at a good level". "We try to tell people as clearly as possible why the app should be downloaded and that its use is safe," says Yrttiaho.
