“Contact Tracing” Looks To Control More Than Just The Coronavirus

First, there was “flattening the curve.” For many parts of the world, that conversation is now shifting towards “contact tracing” — keeping track of those who tested positive, negative, and those who are at risk of being exposed — as governments grasp for a solution to reopening their economies in a post-peak coronavirus world. But the threat of a resurgence is still top of mind. Open too quickly, and cases will surge. Too late, and the economic consequences will be even more devastating than they already are.

China has taken the lead with mobile technology that relies on scanning QR codes and an app. The goal is to curb the spread of the coronavirus by indicating who can go where, CNN reports. “Technology now plays a critical role in containing the pandemic,” Xian-Sheng Hua, a health AI expert at China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, told CNN.

Here’s how it works: Chinese citizens have to give up their national identity number or passport number, as well as their phone number. The app then asks them to complete a questionnaire about travel history and current symptoms. According to CNN, authorities then verify this information and are assigned a color. -Full Report

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