Fighting COVID-19 with technology, contact tracing right on your phone

The Bluetooth on your phone will track Covid-19 encounters and let you know if you came in contact with someone who was diagnosed via a notification on your phone.

MEANTIME -- MANYUNIVERSITIES AREWORKING ON NEWTECHNOLOGY--TO HELP OUT IN THISPANDEMIC.WE TOLD YOU LASTWEEK ABOUT A NEWAPP--BEING DEVELOPED ATU-B --THEY SAY CAN TRACETHE SPREAD OFCOVID-19 --BY SHOWING PUBLICHEALTH OFFICIALS--WHERE PEOPLE "WITHCOVID" HAVE BEEN.NOW -- APPLE ANDGOOGLE--ARE GETTING INTOTHE "CONTACTTRACING GAME."THEY'RE WORKINGTOGETHER TO CREATEA NEW "HIGH-TECHTOOL"--TO HELP FIGHT THEVIRUS.BUT AS 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTERREBECCA THORNBURGSHOWS US --THERE ARE SOMEKINKS THAT HAVE TOBE WORKED OUTFIRST.WASHING YOURHANDS,WEARING A MASK,SOCIAL DISTANCING.ALL STEPS YOU CANTAKE TO STOP THESPREAD OF THECORONAVIRUS.AND NOW-- APPLE ANDGOOGLE ARE TEAMINGUP TO CREATE AHIGH-TECH TOOL TOFIGHT COVID-19 ASWELL.SOT SARAH KREBS"YOU NEED TO DOCONTACT TRACINGTECHNOLOGY PEOPLEDOING CONTRACTTRACING ANDINDIVIDUAL MEASURESLIKE WASHING HANDSAND WEARING MASKS ITHINK INCONJUNCTION WITHTHESE OTHERAPPROACHES WILWORK.APPLE AND GOOGLEARE CALLING THETECHNOLOGYEXPOSURENOTIFICATION API.THE BLUETOOTH ONYOUR PHONE WILLTRACK COVID-19ENCOUNTERS AND LETYOU KNOW IF YOUCAME IN CONTACTWITH SOMEONE WHOWAS DIAGNOSED VIA ANOTIFICATION ONYOUR PHONE.CORNELL UNIVERSITYPROFESSOR SARAHKREPS SAYS YOUSHOULD THINK OFTHIS CONTACTTRACINGTECHNOLOGY AS APHONE HANDSHAKE--YOU HAVE TO AGREETO USE IT AND ITDOESN'T USE ANY OFYOUR DATA.SOT"THIS ISDECENTRALIZED, IT ISALL ON YOUR PHONE.SECOND IT'S USINGBLUETOOTH KEYSTHAT AREANONYMIZED ANDTHERE'S NO USERDATA, NON LOCATIONAND GPS DATA"KREPS SAYS IN ORDERFOR THIS TO WORK, 60TO 80 PERCENT OFPEOPLEHAVE TO PARTICIPATE.SHE SAYS PRIVACYCONCERNS HAVEBEEN TOP OF MINDFOR BOTH TECHGIANTS CREATINGTHIS DOWNLOADABLEFEATURE.SOTDO YOU THINK THISWILL WORK?IT DEPENDS WHAT WEMEAN BY WORK, ITHINK IT WILL BEEFFECTIVE INALERTING PEOPLE TOWHETHER THEY HAVEBEEN IN CLOSEPROXIMITY TOSOMEONE WHO HASTESTED POSITIVE."THIS WOULDN'T COMEWITHOUT RISK.

KREBSSAYS THERE'S ACHANCE THIS COULDALSO BACK-FIRE ANDCREATE FALSE-NEGATIVES.APPLE AND GOOGLEHAVE NOTANNOUNCED WHENTHIS WILL BEAVAILABLE AND SAYTHEY WILLDISCONTINUE THESYSTEM WHEN THECRISIS IS OVER.RT 7EWN.