[ad_1]
ofTT
published:
updated:
February 1 | Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT
To corroborate the spread of covid-19, a corona application is launched in Sweden. Stock Photography.
According to Lund University, the app that will map the progress of the crown virus in Sweden is rapidly spreading to Swedish mobiles and tablets.
Just over three days after launch, it now has just under 50,000 users.
– It is promising. I’m satisfied: With such numbers, you can do something about the collected data and come up with meaningful interpretations, says Paul Franks, professor of genetic epidemiology at Lund University and one of those who developed the Swedish app for TT.
It is a Swedish variant of application that has been in various countries for some time. More than 2.5 million people have reported their symptoms in the UK for over a month.
Users should report symptoms every day, and the purpose is to find out where in the country the risk of infection is high, how fast the virus spreads in different regions, and what factors increase the risk of becoming seriously ill.
The app, Covid Symptom Tracker, launched on Wednesday morning. At 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, after three days, the number of users in Sweden is now 44,421, according to Lund University.
When TT talks to Frank a little over three hours later, he says it has grown to just under 48,000.
Soon maps
In the application, the user records, among other things, year of birth, sex, residence, duration, weight and symptoms.
The researchers hope to launch the first maps of the possible spread of the infection soon. But first, enough people in different regions have to participate to get good evidence and, in addition, analysis of, for example, demographic factors such as the distribution of men and women and age structures in the respective areas, says Paul Franks.
– All this is something that we must take into account before launching a map. Hopefully we can do it early next week, possibly Monday.
Build timelines
In addition, it is important, says Franks, to have sufficient evidence to build deadlines for the changes in symptoms reported in different parts of the country.
– It’s where the power lies in this. If people record their symptoms every day, you can see where interesting points are emerging for a possible spread of the infection.
The researchers have offered the Public Health Agency (FHM) access to the results in the application as a decision.
Even the experts
On Monday, FHM stopped a digital tool developed by the Swedish Social Protection and Emergency Preparedness Agency (MSB) to, among other things, identify perceived symptoms. At the time, the assessment was that the risks, among other things in the form of increased pressure on health care, were considerably greater than the potential gains.
Paul Franks says that all he and his staff can do is produce the most useful and accurate information possible.
– So it is up to FHM if they think they can use them, and they may have good reason to decide that this is not useful. It is up to them, as public health experts.
published:
