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04/16/2020 – Senior web editor
April 16, 2020
Senior web editor
Fight the virus with the “Corona Science” application
With the launched “Corona Science” app, citizens can actively help combat the pandemic, through data collection and anonymous donation. This allows the pandemic and the burden on the population to be tracked more accurately. The application developed by the BFH and the MIDATA Cooperative of the University of Applied Sciences in Bern has the support of the cantons of Bern and Neuchâtel, eHealth Suisse, opendata.ch and other partners.
Unlike contact tracking applications, “Corona Science” aims to ensure that the general public collects urgently needed data on COVID-19 and its life situation at closure. Everyone can make an active contribution with this application and donate their data anonymously. Data entered by citizens is not analyzed by the Corona Science team, but is made anonymous and aggregated and made available to all interested parties in accordance with the principle of open data. They can be used by epidemiologists, researchers, or care planners to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the anonymous data, the pandemic can be traced more accurately in a situation where the population’s contact with the health system is limited,” says Serge Bignens, head of the I4MI Institute for Medical Informatics at BFH. In this way, analyzes of the “Crown Science” data can provide more insight into the course of the disease, identify local outbreaks, show psychological stress in the population during and after closure, and help plan strategies. output. The project already receives wide support from the cantons of Bern and Neuchâtel, eHealth Suisse, opendata.ch and other partners. Corona Science’s effort is also coordinated with the Tracking the Dynamics of COVID-19 initiative (covidtracker.ch); Both initiatives are complemented by their data in the fight against the pandemic.
Questions about the symptoms and the life situation in the running of the bulls.
The Corona Science app regularly asks users about the typical symptoms of COVID-19 disease, such as cough or loss of smell. In addition to the corona virus data, the app collects more information about the condition and additional stress due to the crash. For example, questions are asked about the home office, short-term work, or childcare, as well as other questions related to pandemic measures. “It is not just about the symptoms. Along with mood data, society can better understand the situation during the blockade and plan exit strategies, “explains Bignens. Furthermore, the app links to relevant information and help offers and can be used as a communication channel for users.
Full control over your own data.
The data is stored in personal accounts on the secure and data protection compatible MIDATA platform. Therefore, they belong to the citizens. “Users of the application have full control over their data at all times,” explains Dominik Steiger, branch manager for the MIDATA cooperative. “In this way, consent to share anonymous data with the Open Data Community can be terminated at any time,” says Steiger.
The “Corona Science” project now depends on the active participation of the population. Serge Bignens states: «In this moment of crisis, everyone can make a contribution. The health professional, the child care worker and the healthy or sick person who donates their anonymous data for the fight and a better understanding of COVID-19 ».
The Corona Science app is not a contact tracking app. It is not a matter of identifying the contact persons, but of the urgently needed data on the condition and the course of the disease. If a solution for a monitoring standard emerges (eg PEPP-PT), there is a possibility of a data protection compliant connection. The app is also not designed for diagnosis or self-diagnosis, but contains links to information and offers of help. It also offers the option to create a user community that can be informed about the measures and the disease through the application.
Information and application download: www.coronascience.ch
