[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":305},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-your-data-privacy-during-a-pandemic":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":180,"relatedBooks":304},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":35,"project_category":42,"contact_email_category":43,"yst_prominent_words":44,"class_list":65,"better_featured_image":82,"acf":116,"yoast_meta":125,"_links":127},27659,"2020-04-23T10:00:00","2020-04-23T08:00:00",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=27659&_wpnonce=ea97e99457&status=auto-draft&type=post","2021-01-21T09:57:11","2021-01-21T08:57:11","your-data-privacy-during-a-pandemic","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fyour-data-privacy-during-a-pandemic",{"rendered":17},"Your Data Privacy During a Pandemic",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Picture a scenario where citizens willingly have their every move tracked via their smartphones; their every bank transaction monitored; and have themselves tracked from CCTV footage. Pretty Orwellian, right? Dubious tracking from smartphones and wearables by unscrupulous third parties is what we explored in our article on \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-dark-side-of-health-trackers\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">the dark side of health trackers\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, this scenario is a reality in countries from East to West around the globe. Several countries have implemented digital surveillance to track the spread of the novel coronavirus. Others are contemplating this solution, while many believe it will linger after lockdowns are lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Obviously, such drastic measures raise a whole new level of privacy issues. \u003Cstrong>One can wonder what privacy means anymore and if there aren’t any alternatives to help track COVID-19 while preserving privacy.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Join us as we intrude into the murky business of tracking in the age of the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-768x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25875\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-1536x767.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-512x256.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>South Korea is already tracking their citizens\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A classic example is South Korea which received praise for its effective management of the pandemic with over ten thousand positive cases and less than 300 deaths. Part of its success is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcoronavirus-south-koreas-success-in-controlling-disease-is-due-to-its-acceptance-of-surveillance-134068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"thanks to its aggressive contact tracing (opens in a new tab)\">thanks to its aggressive contact tracing\u003C\u002Fa> which involved tracking bank transactions, CCTV footage and phone use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The reasoning behind deploying such intrusive techniques is as \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscience.sciencemag.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fearly\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F09\u002Fscience.abb6936\" target=\"_blank\">a recent paper from the University of Oxford\u003C\u002Fa> concluded. It reads that the “viral spread is too fast to be contained by manual contact tracing, but could be controlled if this process was faster, more efficient and happened at scale”. It further suggests the use of a contact-tracing app. This has become an increasingly attractive solution around the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Ftrace-together-covid-19-phone-tracking-app-768x473.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27411\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Ftrace-together-covid-19-phone-tracking-app-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Ftrace-together-covid-19-phone-tracking-app.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tracetogether.gov.sg\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the simplest method, such an app will use a smartphone’s built-in GPS to find someone within meters of their actual location. Another method is to use scannable QR codes in public areas. This sends data to a server about who’s been where at a specific time. The latest method is the one pushed by \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002Finterface\u002F2020\u002F4\u002F14\u002F21219289\u002Fapple-google-contact-tracing-app-android-ios-pros-cons-quarantine-testing\" target=\"_blank\">Google and Apple’s surprise collaboration\u003C\u002Fa>. It uses a phone’s Bluetooth to connect to another user’s phone and map a network from this data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>All of these methods \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theregister.co.uk\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F14\u002Fcoronavirus_phone_app\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">have their pros and cons\u003C\u002Fa>, but their aim is the same: identify who could potentially be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and alert those who’ve been in proximity to that person. Some methods claim that they “anonymize” location data; but \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-dark-side-of-health-trackers\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">we previously discussed\u003C\u002Fa> the ease of connecting anonymized dots on a map to actual names. These pose a blatant breach in privacy and their true efficacy might only be evaluated once the pandemic subsides. Some experts even warn that for phone tracking to be effective, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theregister.co.uk\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F14\u002Fcoronavirus_phone_app\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">at least 60%\u003C\u002Fa> of the population should use it, a figure that’s hard to reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Other countries in the race for smartphone data\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>South Korea isn’t an exception to the use of surveillance in the pandemic era. Such drastic measures are already in place in several countries around the world. In fact, there are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pulselive.co.ke\u002Fbi\u002Ftech\u002F10-countries-are-now-tracking-phone-data-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-heralds-a\u002F5y1rzwl#austria-is-using-anonymized-data-to-map-peoples-movements-7\" target=\"_blank\">at least 10 countries\u003C\u002Fa> employing such methods, with more to follow suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Russia is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F29\u002Feurope\u002Frussia-coronavirus-authoritarian-tech-intl\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">using facial recognition\u003C\u002Fa> to identify and fine violators of quarantines and self-isolation protocols. Moscow recently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F14\u002Fworld\u002Fmoscow-cyber-tracking-qr-code-intl\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">deployed a QR-based system\u003C\u002Fa>, dubbed as a ‘cyber Gulag’, to monitor movements and track the contagion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Israel \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F17\u002F21183716\u002Fcoronavirus-covid-19-israel-natanyahu-cellphone-data-tracking\" target=\"_blank\">allowed its internal security agency\u003C\u002Fa> to use phone location data. They will use it to follow the movements of those tested positive, and identify others who should be quarantined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Austria, Belgium and Germany’s telecom companies \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pulselive.co.ke\u002Fbi\u002Ftech\u002F10-countries-are-now-tracking-phone-data-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-heralds-a\u002F5y1rzwl#austria-is-using-anonymized-data-to-map-peoples-movements-7\" target=\"_blank\">got the go-ahead\u003C\u002Fa> to share location data with the respective governments. Singapore \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.channelnewsasia.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsingapore\u002Fcovid19-trace-together-mobile-app-contact-tracing-coronavirus-12560616\" target=\"_blank\">launched an opt-in downloadable app\u003C\u002Fa> that uses Bluetooth and wireless signals to detect other users in proximity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fbig-brother-anwb-achmea-verzekering-768x511.jpg\" alt=\"future of medicine\" class=\"wp-image-25105\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fbig-brother-anwb-achmea-verzekering-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fbig-brother-anwb-achmea-verzekering-512x341.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fbig-brother-anwb-achmea-verzekering.jpg 1308w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.dannymekic.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In early April, Bahrain \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Feurope\u002Fbahrain-launches-electronic-bracelets-keep-track-active-covid-19-cases\" target=\"_blank\">launched a tracking bracelet\u003C\u002Fa> dedicated to keep track of active and new COVID-19 cases. Those issued with one have to connect it to their phone via Bluetooth all the time to ensure that they remain in isolation, which is then verified via GPS data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the U.S., a controversial company Clearview AI, which made a facial recognition data database from social media pictures, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fvalue-ethics-using-phone-data-monitor-covid-19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">is pitching its platform\u003C\u002Fa> for the government to track the disease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We’ve seen the case in South Korea, but more than to track the disease’s spread, it exposed embarrassing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2020\u002Fmar\u002F06\u002Fmore-scary-than-coronavirus-south-koreas-health-alerts-expose-private-lives\" target=\"_blank\">private information and led to rumor-mongering\u003C\u002Fa>. As other countries adopt such strategies, we will understandably witness increasing complaints about privacy violation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Is this the end of privacy?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Given the speed of COVID-19’s spread, traditional tracing methods won’t make the cut. As such, it’s understandable that we are asked to compromise between helping reduce transmission and preserving some privacy. In fact, most of these tracking options are opt-in, but the repercussions are severe if one doesn’t abide by confinement rules. \u003Cstrong>However, where is the line between personal space and civic duty drawn? \u003C\u002Fstrong>Or will this line blur post-pandemic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fprivacy-tracking-covid-19-768x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27661\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fprivacy-tracking-covid-19-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fprivacy-tracking-covid-19.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fcliqz.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In South Korea, authorities send “safety guidance texts”, reminding people to maintain hygienic measures as well as alerting them of details of people who tested positive of the virus. They can subsequently see a list of places this particular person visited prior to a positive virus test. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This method identified a man returning from China with his secretary, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2020\u002Fmar\u002F06\u002Fmore-scary-than-coronavirus-south-koreas-health-alerts-expose-private-lives\" target=\"_blank\">leading to speculations\u003C\u002Fa> that they were having an affair and that the secretary underwent plastic surgery. \u003Cstrong>That’s one of the many personal details laid bare and which will continue popping up as long as such tracking measures are in place.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long will this remain in place?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F12\u002F999186\u002Fcovid-19-contact-tracing-surveillance-data-privacy-anonymity\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">recent article from MIT Technology Review\u003C\u002Fa> argues that “much of what we build for this pandemic should have a sunset clause—in particular when it comes to the private, intimate, and community data we might collect.” Ideally, this should hold true. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world; and the technologies employed in this crisis are likely to linger long after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even before the pandemic, some governments were investing heavily in tools like facial recognition and phone tracking. \u003Cstrong>Concerns over another public health issue are valid but can also serve as an excuse to aggressively implement privacy-violating measures on a large scale.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"503\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-phone-track-768x503.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27663\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-phone-track-768x503.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-phone-track.jpg 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnet.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, pertinent questions remain: what will become of these data after the pandemic situation is over? How securely do authorities store them? What if the black market will benefit from these information? We might never have conclusive answers for these questions, but the good news is that there are alternatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What about a privacy-friendly alternative?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Yes, privacy-preserving solutions are in the works. Such decentralized models aim to keep as much sensitive data on the users’ phones as possible and allow them to use a centralised server to trace contacts. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A group of European universities \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002FDP-3T\u002Fdocuments\">open-sourced their proposal\u003C\u002Fa> for one such system. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cam.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-app-collects-the-sounds-of-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\">The University of Cambridge\u003C\u002Fa>‘s COVID-19 Sounds App uses crowdsourced data involving sounds made by people with the condition; no tracking involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>MIT is developing an app that uses Bluetooth signals to record on encounters with other users on their phone. “I keep track of what I’ve broadcasted, and you keep track of what you’ve heard, and this will allow us to tell if someone was in close proximity to an infected person,” \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fnews.mit.edu\u002F2020\u002Fbluetooth-covid-19-contact-tracing-0409\">said Ron Rivest\u003C\u002Fa>, an MIT Institute Professor and principal investigator of the project. “But for these broadcasts, we’re using cryptographic techniques to generate random, rotating numbers that are not just anonymous, but pseudonymous, constantly changing their ‘ID,’ and that can’t be traced back to an individual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fsafe-covid-19-tracking-app.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27665\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: http:\u002F\u002Fnews.mit.edu\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We’re not tracking location, not using GPS, not attaching your personal ID or phone number to any of these random numbers your phone is emitting,” \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fnews.mit.edu\u002F2020\u002Fbluetooth-covid-19-contact-tracing-0409\">added Daniel Weitzner\u003C\u002Fa>, co-principal investigator of the project. “What we want is to enable everyone to participate in a shared process of seeing if you might have been in contact, without revealing, or forcing anyone to reveal, anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, such solutions are in-development or in prototype formats. Before a final version is available, the novel coronavirus will continue to infect people. Meanwhile, governments have to resort to more intrusive methods in response to the speed of the virus. \u003Cstrong>However, privacy should be made a priority once such secure options are ready to be deployed on a large scale.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Digital surveillance is here to track the spread of the coronavirus, but what if after the virus is gone surveillance remains?\u003C\u002Fp>\n",16,27695,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33,34],6479,496,799,494,[36,37,38,39,40,41],3085,687,690,880,1549,3681,[],[],[45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64],1693,3641,1907,3653,3061,3655,3079,3657,3667,3127,3669,3133,3671,3135,3673,3163,3675,3529,3679,3633,[66,14,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81],"post-27659","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","category-health-sensors-trackers","category-security-privacy","category-telemedicine","tag-covid19","tag-data-privacy","tag-cybersecurity","tag-tracking","tag-coronavirus","tag-contact-tracing",{"id":24,"alt_text":83,"caption":27,"description":84,"media_type":85,"media_details":86,"post":114,"source_url":115},"Countries have implemented digital surveillance to track the spread of the novel coronavirus","Several countries have implemented digital surveillance to track the spread of the novel coronavirus","image",{"width":87,"height":88,"file":89,"sizes":90,"image_meta":112},1920,1080,"2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01.png",{"medium":91,"large":97,"thumbnail":102,"medium_large":106,"1536x1536":107},{"file":92,"width":93,"height":94,"mime-type":95,"source_url":96},"159_tmf-01-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01-370x208.png",{"file":98,"width":99,"height":100,"mime-type":95,"source_url":101},"159_tmf-01-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01-768x432.png",{"file":103,"width":104,"height":104,"mime-type":95,"source_url":105},"159_tmf-01-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01-150x150.png",{"file":98,"width":99,"height":100,"mime-type":95,"source_url":101},{"file":108,"width":109,"height":110,"mime-type":95,"source_url":111},"159_tmf-01-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":113,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":113,"copyright":27,"focal_length":113,"iso":113,"shutter_speed":113,"title":27,"orientation":113},"0",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F159_tmf-01.png",{"cta_type":117,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":118,"related_posts_footer":121,"related_posts":20},"subscribe",[119,120],24765,24757,[122,123,124],27591,27467,27325,{"yoast_wpseo_title":126,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":27,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Your Data Privacy During a Pandemic - The Medical Futurist",{"self":128,"collection":134,"about":137,"author":140,"replies":143,"version-history":146,"predecessor-version":150,"wp:featuredmedia":154,"wp:attachment":157,"wp:term":160,"curies":176},[129],{"href":130,"targetHints":131},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27659",{"allow":132},[133],"GET",[135],{"href":136},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[138],{"href":139},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[141],{"embeddable":26,"href":142},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F16",[144],{"embeddable":26,"href":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=27659",[147],{"count":148,"href":149},8,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27659\u002Frevisions",[151],{"id":152,"href":153},27727,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27659\u002Frevisions\u002F27727",[155],{"embeddable":26,"href":156},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27695",[158],{"href":159},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=27659",[161,164,167,170,173],{"taxonomy":162,"embeddable":26,"href":163},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=27659",{"taxonomy":165,"embeddable":26,"href":166},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=27659",{"taxonomy":168,"embeddable":26,"href":169},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=27659",{"taxonomy":171,"embeddable":26,"href":172},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=27659",{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":175},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=27659",[177],{"name":178,"href":179,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[181],{"id":124,"date":182,"date_gmt":183,"guid":184,"modified":186,"modified_gmt":187,"slug":188,"status":13,"type":14,"link":189,"title":190,"content":192,"excerpt":194,"author":23,"featured_media":196,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":197,"categories":198,"tags":200,"project_category":206,"contact_email_category":207,"yst_prominent_words":208,"class_list":225,"better_featured_image":233,"acf":254,"yoast_meta":259,"_links":262},"2020-04-02T10:00:00","2020-04-02T08:00:00",{"rendered":185},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=27325&_wpnonce=3d5fe45165&status=auto-draft&type=post","2021-01-21T09:57:47","2021-01-21T08:57:47","digital-health-apps-to-use-during-the-covid-19-quarantine","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-apps-to-use-during-the-covid-19-quarantine",{"rendered":191},"Digital Health Apps to Use During the COVID-19 Quarantine",{"rendered":193,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>While most of us are experiencing our very first pandemic, we are simultaneously living in an ongoing “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002Fs\u002F615368\u002Ffacebook-twitter-social-media-infodemic-misinformation\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">infodemic\u003C\u002Fa>”. The latter refers to the widespread misinformation circulating on the web around the novel coronavirus, especially on social media. We saw the likes of reports claiming the COVID-19 being part of a biological weapons program (debunked, as the natural origins of the virus \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedaily.com\u002Freleases\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F200317175442.htm\" target=\"_blank\">have been proven\u003C\u002Fa>) or even more, let’s say, creative ones \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newsweek.com\u002Fyoutube-video-suggests-5g-internet-causes-coronavirus-people-are-falling-it-1493321\" target=\"_blank\">suggesting 5G networks cause the infection\u003C\u002Fa> (it goes without saying that there’s no relation whatsoever).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite those misconceptions and hoax stories, there are a lot of helpful resources involving smartphone apps and even social media. These include software to keep track of the COVID-19 spread, apps to receive healthcare remotely and even physical phones for contact tracing. However, some of these apps might hide malicious software that can harm your device. We’ll guide you through finding trusted apps and point out to some useful resources out there that you can use during this pandemic, all accessible via your smartphone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002Ffree-e-book-and-35809296\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"279\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-26-at-17.13.01-768x279.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27791\"\u002F\u003C\u002Fa srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-26-at-17.13.01-768x279.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-26-at-17.13.01-1536x557.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-26-at-17.13.01.png 1544w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Beware of the harmful coronavirus… and apps…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since we’re battling against both a pandemic and an infodemic, how can one choose trustworthy apps or online resources since they can themselves be sources of misinformation? As \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Feconomictimes.indiatimes.com\u002Fmagazines\u002Fpanache\u002Fstay-clear-of-coronavirus-themed-android-app-it-infects-mobile-devices\u002Farticleshow\u002F74509389.cms\" target=\"_blank\">noted by cybersecurity solutions firm SonicWall\u003C\u002Fa>, some are abusing from the panic caused by COVID-19. SonicWall noted that an app going by the name of Coronavirus hides a malware that allows hackers to remotely control the user’s phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"763\" height=\"509\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fbig-tech.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27327\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fblog.goodaudience.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Apple is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F05\u002Fapple-rejects-coronavirus-apps-that-arent-from-health-organizations.html\" target=\"_blank\">taking such issues seriously\u003C\u002Fa>. The tech giant is cracking down on potentially malicious software on its app store. It is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F05\u002Fapple-rejects-coronavirus-apps-that-arent-from-health-organizations.html\" target=\"_blank\">reportedly\u003C\u002Fa> only allowing apps from recognized institutions like governments, health organizations or hospitals. It might not help support independent developers, but Apple is apparently betting on playing it safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Apple’s direct competitor, Google, is also taking its own measures. The company’s own app store, Google Play, opened a section dedicated to COVID-19. Called “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fplay.google.com\u002Fstore\u002Fapps\u002Ftopic?id=campaign_editorial_3003109_crisis_medical_outbreak_apps_cep\" target=\"_blank\">Coronavirus: Stay informed\u003C\u002Fa>”, the page contains a curated list of apps that it certifies will help you “stay prepared and informed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Staying up-to-date with interactive dashboards\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You now know how to find reliable apps from your smartphone; but there are also useful sites online to keep you updated on the coronavirus situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One of our favourites at The Medical Futurist is the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fgisanddata.maps.arcgis.com\u002Fapps\u002Fopsdashboard\u002Findex.html#\u002Fbda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6\" target=\"_blank\">online dashboard\u003C\u002Fa> from Johns Hopkins University. By aggregating data from \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsystems.jhu.edu\u002Fresearch\u002Fpublic-health\u002Fncov\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">trusted sources\u003C\u002Fa>, this interactive map displays detailed information about active, recovered and fatal cases across the globe. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Microsoft also has its own version as an \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bing.com\u002Fcovid\" target=\"_blank\">interactive Bing map\u003C\u002Fa>, which features the addition of related news. It draws its information from sources like the CDC and WHO. However, while it \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F16\u002F21181303\u002Fmicrosoft-bing-covid-19-pandemic-map-news-stories-videos\" target=\"_blank\">might not have the most timely updates\u003C\u002Fa>, Bing’s map gives a general idea of the current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-768x404.jpg\" alt=\"COVID-19 Quarantine Dashboards\" class=\"wp-image-27329\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-1536x808.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-2048x1077.jpg 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bing.com\u002Fcovid\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For people in the U.K., the government \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Fcovid-19-track-coronavirus-cases\" target=\"_blank\">launched a similar COVID-19 dashboard\u003C\u002Fa>. It features data on reported cases, new cases and numbers of related deaths in its territories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another useful online source accessible from your phone is Google’s very own \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fcovid19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">COVID-19 Information & Resources site\u003C\u002Fa>. It’s a great one-stop-shop for everything COVID-19 related; you’ll find information about the disease, data about the spread, how to protect yourself, and even videos to help you cope with the lockdown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Staying healthy indoors\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Staying shut indoors can be taxing both physically and mentally. You can’t really go jogging in the park or to the gym, and seeing the same walls all day long doesn’t help much either. Thankfully, digital health can help you stay in shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During the pandemic, Fitbit noted \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.fitbit.com\u002Fcovid-19-global-activity\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a decline in average step counts\u003C\u002Fa> worldwide of up to 38%. This means that people are less active during these trying times. To prevent people from turning into their \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU\" target=\"_blank\">counterparts depicted in Wall-E\u003C\u002Fa>, the company is offering a free 90-day Premium trial with hundreds of workouts that best suit your needs. Nike is also working towards the same goal, making its \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.nike.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnike-digital-health-activity-resources\" target=\"_blank\">Nike Training Club Premium workouts free\u003C\u002Fa>. With \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplanetfitness\u002Fposts\u002F10157386688639856\" target=\"_blank\">free, daily livestreamed workouts\u003C\u002Fa> on Facebook, Planet Fitness wants you to stay active, healthy, and feel great right at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For healthcare professionals on the frontlines in the U. S., \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.headspace.com\u002Fhealth-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\">Headspace\u003C\u002Fa>, a mental wellbeing app, is offering its Premium service for free. “Healthcare providers are on the front lines of this public health crisis, making sure our communities receive necessary and critical care,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.usatoday.com\u002Fstory\u002Ftech\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F21\u002Fhealth-and-wellness-apps-offer-freebies-coping-coronavirus\u002F2892085001\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">said Dr. Megan Jones Bell\u003C\u002Fa>, chief science officer for Headspace. “That’s why it’s crucial for us to find ways to support their mental health and provide them with tools for managing the very real personal toll this crisis takes on them in particular”. For the general public, Headspace launched “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.headspace.com\u002Fcovid-19\" target=\"_blank\">Weathering The Storm\u003C\u002Fa>” with free meditations, sleep, and movement exercises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fminfulness-meditation-yoga-app-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"COVID-19 Quarantine: Mental wellbeing\" class=\"wp-image-27331\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fminfulness-meditation-yoga-app-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fminfulness-meditation-yoga-app-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fminfulness-meditation-yoga-app-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fminfulness-meditation-yoga-app.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindful.org\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other companies are also giving away freebies. Balance, a personalized meditation app, is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fbalanceapp\u002Fstatus\u002F1239253806824722433\" target=\"_blank\">offering a free one-year subscription\u003C\u002Fa> to everyone. The digital behavioral healthcare solution Sanvello \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sanvello.com\u002Fcoronavirus-anxiety-support\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">opened up its Premium offer\u003C\u002Fa> to help reduce stress and anxiety. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ahajournals.org\u002Fdoi\u002Fpdf\u002F10.1161\u002FHYP.0b013e318293645f\" target=\"_blank\">studies show\u003C\u002Fa> that taking some time to relax can lower both blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk, why not try it out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Primary care from your home\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Stuck at home and don’t want to risk going to the hospital? How about bringing the hospital to you? That’s the promise of telemedicine and it saw an unprecedented demand with COVID-19.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Up until a few months ago, the concept was adopted by some countries like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-in-rwanda\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Rwanda\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fa-promising-hub-for-digital-health-kazakhstan\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Kazakhstan\u003C\u002Fa>, and there are other \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fremarkable-examples-of-telemedicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">notable examples\u003C\u002Fa> in remote regions. With the need to assess people while keeping the medical personnel and patients safe in the pandemic, remote consultation solutions \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1821549\u002Ftelemedicine-faces-unprecedented-demand-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">picked up steam\u003C\u002Fa>. PlushCare’s telemedicine appointments went up by 70%. Amwell, another service, had its app use increase by a whopping 158% in the U. S. since the country was affected by the virus in January.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"COVID-19 Quarantine: telemedicine\" class=\"wp-image-22474\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There’s a plethora of such apps out there but Healthline made a handy \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fbest-telemedicine-iphone-android-apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">curated best-of list\u003C\u002Fa>. Some like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lemonaidhealth.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Lemonaid\u003C\u002Fa> offer both remote consultations and medicine delivery so that you don’t have to go out to fetch your medication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you’re concerned about COVID-19 symptoms, you can try this online \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fc19check.com\u002Fstart\" target=\"_blank\">Coronavirus Checker\u003C\u002Fa> from Emory University’s School of Medicine. After a few screening questions, the tool will provide a summary of your risks, as well as recommendations from the CDC.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>To track…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Going beyond apps, physical phones are themselves helping to fight COVID-19. Some governments resorted to unconventional means to track down potentially infected people: surveillance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcoronavirus-south-koreas-success-in-controlling-disease-is-due-to-its-acceptance-of-surveillance-134068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">South Korea\u003C\u002Fa> used CCTV footage, bank transactions and phone usage to track who might potentially be at risk. Using data from these sources, South Korean health authorities can pinpoint who was in close contact with an infected person or a hotspot for the disease and identify who to test. Further West, Israel’s Prime Minister allowed the country’s internal security agency to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F17\u002F21183716\u002Fcoronavirus-covid-19-israel-natanyahu-cellphone-data-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">use phone location data\u003C\u002Fa> to fight COVID-19. Those who might have been in contact could be alerted via text to quarantine themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Singapore, the government set up the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tracetogether.gov.sg\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">TraceTogether app\u003C\u002Fa>. Residents can download and consent to use it so as to facilitate contact tracing. The app records one’s location via Bluetooth and wireless signals and detects other users in proximity. The Ministry of Health will then \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.channelnewsasia.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsingapore\u002Fcovid19-trace-together-mobile-app-contact-tracing-coronavirus-12560616\" target=\"_blank\">contact those who might have been exposed\u003C\u002Fa> to the disease. The app’s record can further build a network of those potentially affected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Help fight the spread of COVID-19 with TraceTogether!\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fbuj8ZTRtJes?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What might sound like a politically-correct Orwellian novel is now turning into reality and this option is being considered by many.  \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.coepi.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">CoEpi\u003C\u002Fa>, an open-source project, launched recently to develop an app similar to TraceTogether. Researchers at MIT are working on \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fplay.google.com\u002Fstore\u002Fapps\u002Fdetails?id=edu.mit.privatekit\" target=\"_blank\">a similar project\u003C\u002Fa>, allowing users to log their movements and compare with others infected with COVID-19.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">… Or not to track?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, there are concerns about the effectiveness of this method as well. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0219890\" target=\"_blank\">A study published last year\u003C\u002Fa> showed that determining positioning via smartphone is possible with an accuracy between 7 and 13 meters. However, considering that COVID-19 spreads between people \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews-room\u002Fq-a-detail\u002Fq-a-coronaviruses\" target=\"_blank\">within a few feet from each other\u003C\u002Fa>, a more accurate method would be more reliable. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In South Korea, “safety guidance texts” sent by authorities contained private information of people that others could access. This led to the exposure of embarrassing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2020\u002Fmar\u002F06\u002Fmore-scary-than-coronavirus-south-koreas-health-alerts-expose-private-lives\" target=\"_blank\">private information and rumor-mongering\u003C\u002Fa>. China employed similar methods, but private data were not totally anonymized and other information might be \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F01\u002Fbusiness\u002Fchina-coronavirus-surveillance.html\" target=\"_blank\">collected by authorities\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-768x384.jpg\" alt=\"COVID-19 Quarantine\" class=\"wp-image-25875\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-1536x767.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking-512x256.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F01\u002FLocation-tracking.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Concerns over privacy and the need for such a method are warranted. It will pose a challenge to get people to tolerate such surveillance or even to reliably report on their infectious status, and might even have a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcoronavirus-south-koreas-success-in-controlling-disease-is-due-to-its-acceptance-of-surveillance-134068\" target=\"_blank\">cultural factor\u003C\u002Fa> to it. Serious times call for serious measures; these current measures might serve as a test of the public’s trust in authorities. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:center;\">\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedicalfuturist%2Fposts%2F2802757973152153&show_text=true&appId=302609456435813&height=631\" width=\"\" height=\"671\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden;display:block;\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" >\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":195,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>We’ll guide you through finding trusted apps and point out to some useful resources out there that you can use during this pandemic, all accessible via your smartphone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",27337,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,199],521,[201,202,203,40,204,205],630,759,760,3083,207,[],[],[209,210,211,54,212,213,214,215,51,56,216,217,218,219,220,221,222,223,45,224],1979,3125,2027,2495,3129,2655,3131,1571,3091,1583,3093,1587,3095,1597,3119,3121,[226,14,67,68,69,70,71,72,227,228,229,230,80,231,232],"post-27325","category-future-medicine","tag-digital-technology","tag-apps","tag-applications","tag-covid","tag-digital-health",{"id":196,"alt_text":234,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":85,"media_details":235,"post":124,"source_url":253},"digital health apps for quarantine",{"width":87,"height":88,"file":236,"sizes":237,"image_meta":252},"2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small.jpg",{"medium":238,"large":242,"thumbnail":245,"medium_large":248,"1536x1536":249},{"file":239,"width":93,"height":94,"mime-type":240,"source_url":241},"COVID-smartphone-apps-small-370x208.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small-370x208.jpg",{"file":243,"width":99,"height":100,"mime-type":240,"source_url":244},"COVID-smartphone-apps-small-768x432.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small-768x432.jpg",{"file":246,"width":104,"height":104,"mime-type":240,"source_url":247},"COVID-smartphone-apps-small-150x150.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small-150x150.jpg",{"file":243,"width":99,"height":100,"mime-type":240,"source_url":244},{"file":250,"width":109,"height":110,"mime-type":240,"source_url":251},"COVID-smartphone-apps-small-1536x864.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small-1536x864.jpg",{"aperture":113,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":113,"copyright":27,"focal_length":113,"iso":113,"shutter_speed":113,"title":27,"orientation":113},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-smartphone-apps-small.jpg",{"cta_type":117,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":255,"related_posts_footer":256,"related_posts":20},[120,119],[257,258],26049,27293,{"yoast_wpseo_title":260,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":261,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":189},"COVID-19 Quarantine: Health Apps to Use During the Quarantine","COVID-19 Quarantine - The top digital apps to use in the quarantine: ✅Interactive dashboards ✅Mental wellbeing apps ✅Telemedicine",{"self":263,"collection":268,"about":270,"author":272,"replies":274,"version-history":277,"predecessor-version":281,"wp:featuredmedia":285,"wp:attachment":288,"wp:term":291,"curies":302},[264],{"href":265,"targetHints":266},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27325",{"allow":267},[133],[269],{"href":136},[271],{"href":139},[273],{"embeddable":26,"href":142},[275],{"embeddable":26,"href":276},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=27325",[278],{"count":279,"href":280},17,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27325\u002Frevisions",[282],{"id":283,"href":284},27797,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27325\u002Frevisions\u002F27797",[286],{"embeddable":26,"href":287},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27337",[289],{"href":290},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=27325",[292,294,296,298,300],{"taxonomy":162,"embeddable":26,"href":293},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=27325",{"taxonomy":165,"embeddable":26,"href":295},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=27325",{"taxonomy":168,"embeddable":26,"href":297},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=27325",{"taxonomy":171,"embeddable":26,"href":299},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=27325",{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":301},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=27325",[303],{"name":178,"href":179,"templated":26},[],1789987429952]