The new COVID-19 app: the promises and the tradeoffs

As we wait for scientists to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, contract tracing is one of the most reliable ways to stop the spread. Now, Pennsylvania and Delaware have also released a new “exposure notification app” to let users know if they’ve been near someone who’s tested positive for the virus. New Jersey is piloting its app on college campuses.
WHYY health and science reporter Alan Yu explains this could help reach people traditional contact tracing isn’t — but there’s a tradeoff: The privacy protections put in place to convince more people to download the app could make it much more difficult to know how effective it is.

Hear the whole story on The Why.

Contact Tracing Update (Week Ending 9/26): Of 664 cases reported and not managed by partner organizations: 64 percent were reached and agreed to participate; 7 percent did not have a phone; 21 percent were unable to be reached; 3 percent refused; and 5 percent of cases were closed because of a long delay from test to initial report. Of the contacts named, 74 percent were reached & agreed to quarantine