Week 53 - The COVID Test and Trace App

 This week I decided to write about our current climate of Coronavirus instead of my work as everything is going as normal. 

 Something that is now widely used around the UK is the NHS track and trace app, which is an app created by the NHS to check in at venues, identify close contact of people who test positive, or alert visitors to a premises that have suffered an outbreak. If you receive a notification from the app advising you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, the app will advise whether you need to get tested or isolate and how long for. 

If someone has the app downloaded on their phone and they come in close proximity with someone else who has the app and both devices have their blue tooth on, the app will register this contact and the length of time these people were in proximity with each other. I think this is really good tool for people to have at the moment to keep everyone as safe as possible whilst reducing the risk of spreading the virus. 

I have personally got the app and I use it to check in at venues so I can be alerted if there has been an outbreak at that premises, this ensures I am keeping safe and can isolate if needed. 

I do think the app is a good thing for everyone to have an register themselves on but I do believe it has dome bad points:

• Not everyone has a smartphone that the app can be downloaded on which can cause these people to not be as protected as people  who have the app.
• Alerts that the app provide, require notifications to be turned on for the app. Some people may not have their notifications turned on which can cause them to  miss these alerts and jeopardise their safety. 
• The app also requires a device's Bluetooth to be switched on for it to register other devices with the app around them, so if someone doesn't have their Bluetooth on the app becomes useless to the user. 

With the trouble launching the app and making sure it is effective has taught be how difficult building an app can be. I have also learnt that app design and features are very dependent on how people have their devices set up.