The Field

NHS the examination of the forthcoming Covid-19 contact-tracing app for the Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire .

It works to login through the use of Bluetooth signals, if you are a smartphone owner in the vicinity of each other - so when someone develops Covid-19-symptoms will be able to send A Warning to other users that you may become infected.

In its current state, it tells the user, either: "You're OK", or: "you need to isolate and stay At Home . "

The health Secretary for England, said the tests "goes well".

"the more people sign up for this new app when it goes live, the better informed our answer will be and the better we Can protect the NHS", Matt Hancock told The House of Commons.

He added, would use the software in connection with medical tests and a manual for the identification of contact persons by the people.

But some experts say that the government is perhaps too much trust in technology.

"to be told We don't need any fancy expensive apps, in which people are exposed to data protection issues" at the University of Newcastle, Centre for Excellence in Regulatory science Director Prof Allyson Pollock Bbc News .

"We should be the Following . a low-tech model, with people and phone [interviews].

"the Clinical observation, we found in China and Singapore, and Korea, is more efficient and gives a lot more positive. "

RAF Leeming was chosen to be the host of the attempt at an early "alpha" version of the software, because it is the previous experience with testing of apps and other new processes for the military.

It is simulated a scenario, people with the experience of go shopping to report, via Bluetooth LE (low energy) signals, if two phones were in proximity to each other.

one Of these phones would then be used to keep a record of the fact, the user had the "infection" in The Experiment , leading to a cascade of alerts to be sent to other mobile phones, the previously already in range.

"We still have The Rules [to] apply to the social distancing, as we carry them out," said Gp Capt Blythe Crawford.

"So we have a scenario where people are leaving to simulate their phones on a table, that there is a passage in a shopping, for example, while Other People walk past, look in The Shop window and Pick Up your phone to happen, it is in the vicinity of the other. "

The on-screen warning for those At Risk : "If you go on Public Transport to get home, by the direct route [and] remain at least 2m [6. 6ft] of the people away, if you Can . are you looking for a room where you Can close The Door , [and] to avoid, to touch people, surfaces and objects. "

There are plans for a more realistic follow-up to "Beta Test " at a later time, possibly in a remote community, where their use is voluntary - by the time the text is likely to be refined already.

The tool was developed by the health service's digital Innovation Unit , NHSX.

It has to be said, the alarms are sent "anonymously", so that the user is not told who the trigger was A Warning .

NHSX has also promised to publish its most important security-and privacy-design and app-source-code, so experts in The Field Can help ensure it is world class"".

The Division is working with Apple and Google on The Project but has yet to confirm whether they will accept your logs.

The two companies are pressing the developers to adopt a "decentralized approach" where it would be impossible for either specific users or to those who, in contact, come to be identified by The Authorities or by an external party.

In any case, NHSX believes that his system does not prevent that it is able to identify the user until they request a smear test.

NHSX also believes he has found a way to make sure to work his software in the background on iOS devices.

If true, this is a similar app in Singapore would avoid a problem that is limited in claim.

epidemiologists have said that 80% of smartphone owners will need to use the app, if it is to suppress, rather than simply to slow the spread of The Virus , according to lockdown measures relaxed.

not supported, But as some 12% of the smartphones in active use in the UK, the Bluetooth LE standard, The Target number is actually higher.

And the government is examining ways to increase participation.

One option under consideration is to low-cost, portable Bluetooth devices without a compatible handset.

A similar scheme is already tested to hold in Bulgaria track of people placed under quarantine, while the Corona-Virus-pandemic.

Source of news: bbc.com