Mount Sinai researchers launch coronavirus-tracking app in NYC
There are roughly 51,800 COVID-19 cases in New York City
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A new web app created by researchers at New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System could help track the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement Thursday.
Dubbed STOP COVID NYC, the platform will provide critical insights on traits of the virus and allow patients, along with other residents in the city, to monitor their symptoms.
“To do this well, we need our whole city to help, not just those in hospitals or with access to health care,” Laura Huckins, and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in the statement. “Everyone is included, and everyone can help. Capturing citywide coronavirus data from residents before, during and after they become ill could help reduce the pressure on medical resources and contribute to slowing the spread.”
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To sign up, users should text “COVID” to 64722. They will be prompted to complete an initial set of questions on demographics, exposure and symptom history, followed by brief daily surveys that ask about any additional symptoms they may be experiencing.
That data will be used to alert health providers about growing COVID-19 clusters in certain areas, allowing them to better target resources and implement other appropriate measures.
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Of the 227,000 nationwide COVID-19 cases, roughly 83,700 are in New York state. In the city itself, the United States’ current epicenter for the virus, there are about 51,800 cases.
Mount Sinai’s app is not the first in the market. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently developed Private Kit: Safe Paths, which lets users update information and declare if they have the virus. China in February launched an app that alerts people who may have been in close contact with someone positive for the virus.