Indian Government launches ‘Aarogya Setu’, a coronavirus tracker app

The Indian Government has recently launched its official coronavirus tracking app that will help people track COVID-19 infections. The name of the app is Aarogya Setu which is a Sanskrit word, which means ‘A bridge of health’. The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre and later came under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.


So how does the app will track coronavirus infection?

The app will help to determine if you have been in close proximity to a COVID-19 infected person or not, by using your smartphone’s GPS system and Bluetooth. It verifies if you are at risk by scanning through a database of known cases across India, and via location. The app works on the encrypted database and uses your location to identify the area you roam around near the infected areas. Your mobile phone needs an activated Bluetooth to found if you have been within six feet from the infected person or not.

The app supports 11 languages and has a dedicated a chatbot that asks you a series of questions to find out if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. It also informs you about the various facilities and updates from the Indian health ministry along with helpline numbers nationwide and state-wise. After downloading the app from Google Play Store you’ll be asked to select a language and allow permission to use Bluetooth and GPS. After that, you need to register in the app with your mobile number, to authenticate your access, and then some personal data such as name, gender, age, profession are collected.  Once you are in the app, it will scan your location and share your data in case you have been in close contact with an infected person who was tested positive, with the respective authorities registered with the app.  

By launching the app, the government wants to create self-awareness among the citizens with relevant information about the infection and seeks to limit the spread of the COVID-19 cases in India. According to the health ministry of India, at present, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surged to 1,965, including 50 deaths.

Cover Image source- Future