World News | UK Updates COVID-19 Smartphone App to Tackle 'pingdemic'

London, Aug 2 (PTI) The UK government on Monday announced a tweak to its COVID-19 smartphone app in order to combat concerns around a so-called "pingdemic", caused by its over-sensitivity in alerting individuals to self-isolate after being in the vicinity of someone who goes on to test positive for the deadly virus.

As part of a review into the app announced by Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the "logic" which underpins how close contacts are notified will be updated with immediate effect. Currently, for people who input a positive test but are asymptomatic, the app looks for close contacts five days prior to a positive test. This will be updated based on public health advice to look back at contacts two days prior to a positive test.

The National Health Service (NHS) said the change will mean fewer contacts that took place when the positive case was unlikely to be at the peak of their infectiousness are advised to self-isolate, reducing the overall number of notifications sent by the app.

"We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we're protecting those most at risk from this virus. This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance,” said Javid.

"It's so important that people isolate when asked to do so in order to stop the spread of the virus and protect their communities," he said.

The NHS said the update does not impact the sensitivity of the app, or change the risk threshold, and is aimed at tackling the same number of "high-risk contacts” being advised to self-isolate for 10 days. It comes as the NHS quoted new analysis to show the NHS COVID-19 App plays a crucial role in breaking chains of transmission, preventing hospitalisations and saving lives.

"New analysis from leading scientists shows that in the first three weeks of July, as cases were exponentially rising, the app averted up to 2,000 cases per day, and over 50,000 cases of COVID-19 including chains of transmission assuming 60 per cent compliance with instructions to self-isolate. This is estimated to have prevented 1,600 hospitalisations,” it noted.

"It also shows the app reduces the spread of COVID-19 by around 4.3 per cent each week, and for every 200-250 tests entered and shared in the app one person is prevented from being hospitalised from the virus,” it said, adding that the British public is being urged to continue to use the NHS COVID-19 app.

According to statistics, usage of the app remains high, with around 40 per cent of the eligible population regularly using the app and around 50 per cent of all reported tests being inputted.

"The NHS COVID-19 App is a really practical example of how technology can be used to fight the biggest challenges we face in protecting and improving our health,” said Dr Jenny Harries, CEO of UK Health Security Agency.

"The app is the simplest, easiest, and fastest way to find out whether you have been exposed to the virus, and it has saved thousands of lives over the course of this pandemic. I strongly encourage everyone, even those fully vaccinated, to continue using the app. It is a lifesaving tool that helps us to stay safe and to protect those closest to us as we return to a more familiar way of life,” she said.

From August 16, fully vaccinated people in England will be exempt from self-isolation on being "pinged" by the app and instead will be advised to take a PCR test. Those who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to isolate, and it will remain a legal obligation to isolate if someone tests positive for COVID-19.

There have been growing calls from businesses to bring forward that date as they face staff shortages due to large numbers of contacts being pinged for self-isolation since most parts of the UK emerged from strict legal lockdown measures last month.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)