NHS Launches Covid 19 Track And Trace App

One of the main parts of the UK government's defence against the Covid 19 virus is a new contact tracing app which helps identify people you may have been in contact with who have the virus. When people are experiencing Covid symptoms, they must record it in their app to ensure that other people's apps can recognise this and let other people know that they have to take appropriate action and self isolate. The app has many different features which help people look after themselves when they are out and about. These include:

ensuring that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents

helping to trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for coronavirus and, if necessary, notifies them that they must self-isolate at home to help stop the spread of the virus

People can also check in when they go to different places by scanning a bar code with their phone. This will help keep authorities up to date on where places where there are high levels of virus are so they can develop ways to treat and ensure that that location can become safe again.

Playing your part:

if you develop symptoms, you must continue to follow the rules to self-isolate with other members of your household and get a test to find out if you have coronavirus

if you test positive for coronavirus, you must share information promptly and accurately about your recent contacts through NHS Test and Trace to help us alert other people who may need to self-isolate

if you have had close recent contact with someone who has coronavirus, you must self-isolate if NHS Test and Trace advises you to do so

if you are returning from travel abroad it is important to check whether you need to self-isolate

The app works on the principle of a number of key points, If you start to experience Covid related symptoms, you must take the following steps immediately.

Isolate

Test

Get the results

Share contacts

If the app recognises that you have been in contact with someone who is experiencing Covid symptoms, it will immediately alert you and let you know the appropriate steps to take to ensure you remain safe and well.

One of the main problems with the app is  It isn’t possible to run them on older devices, meaning one in five iPhones and 8% of Android smartphones currently in use in the UK are too old to install the software.

Any device running a version of iOS earlier than 13.5 or Android earlier than Marshmallow, the sixth iteration of the software, will lack the necessary software updates developed by Apple and Google to allow it to carry out Bluetooth ‘handshakes’ with other smartphones. 

The app works with your phones Bluetooth connection so you must ensure that this is turned on at all times and you have the correct phone tariff which will allow you to use it in locations where there is no available Wi-Fi connection.

The app will also only be able to register if it has been in contact with someone else if it has been with in two metres of someone else for fifteen minutes or longer.

These handshakes are carried out via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 4 technology, which allows the app to run constantly in the background on the phone without draining the battery. Older handsets can’t run this technology, and therefore aren’t compatible with test and trace platforms.

The newest models of Huawei smartphones, launched from May 2019, also won’t be able to run the app.

The NHS has said that “the app uses Exposure Notifications, which is a technology that is created by Google and Apple.” Last May, the US banned several companies including Google from sharing technology with Huawei, meaning its newer phones won’t be able to access Google-developed services.