Study: Tracing apps may stem Covid-19 spread even when used by just a few

The tracing smartphone app ‘SwissCovid’ designed to trace people potentially infected with Covid-19. An app used by 15% of the population together with a well-staffed contact-tracing workforce can lead to a 15% drop in infection rates and an 11% drop in Covid-19 deaths, according to a study. — AFP

Contact tracing apps can sharply reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus even when only a few people use them, a study published on Sept 3 by researchers at Google and Oxford University showed.

An app used by 15% of the population together with a well-staffed contact-tracing workforce can lead to a 15% drop in infection rates and an 11% drop in Covid-19 deaths, according to statistical modeling by the Alphabet Inc unit and Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine.