Three local firms have teamed to develop an application to help in the contact tracing of COVID-19 patients. Kenyans will now be able to know if they are within the vicinity of a person who has tested positive through Bluetooth enabled technology.
The app dubbed “Linda app” will be available on App-store within a week. It will rely on government data on Coronavirus to detect the contacts so that Kenyans can always be alerted to keep distance if they come into contact with someone. Also, health experts on the app will be able to trace people who have come into contact with a suspected case of Coronavirus.
“Once you download the Linda app on your mobile phone, you will be required to turn your Bluetooth on to get the notification. This allows you to receive a buzz cautioning you to maintain social distance,” said Bob Ndubi, Managing partner Silverhouse Capital Limited.
“We are trying to look at how we can help by becoming part of the solution. And we settled on technology,” added Bob.
The government has access to contacts of people who have tested positive and released. They are constantly monitoring them. Such that if your Bluetooth is on and theirs is on, and there are still traces of positive COVID-19. Then your Bluetooth will vibrate, alerting you to keep a distance.
The names of the identified contacts on the Linda application will remain obscure to the public. Instead, users will only receive a notification to keep a distance. They will capture the connections with color-coding, so they stay invisible.
“We want to make sure the data is anonymous but still alert the next user in their area. Like a hundred meters, there are suspected cases,” Said Eric Mungai, Silverhouse Capital Partner.
“To us, this is just another flower of what other Kenyans are doing, making sure that we preserve our lives. We should preserve life than mourn the death of a loved one,” added Mr. Mungai.