Apple's 'COVID-19 dedicated screening app' will be updated, information can be shared anonymously with health authorities

With the new coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) causing a lot of confusion in each country, technology companies are trying to support COVID-19 in various ways. Apple has also developed an 'app that provides screening tools for COVID-19', and with a new update it became possible to share information such as symptoms and residence with health authorities anonymously.

Apple adds anonymous symptom and health info sharing to its COVID-19 app and website | TechCrunch

The COVID-19 screening tool ' Apple COVID-19 ' developed by Apple is provided free of charge to users over the age of 18 living in the United States. Although this tool is not a substitute for instructions from health care providers or local governments, answering a series of questions about risk factors, contact with other people, and symptoms suggests whether self-isolation should be done or not. He advises you on how to monitor continuously and whether you should get a diagnosis at the hospital.

Apple COVID-19 on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-covid-19/id1504132184

With the new update, ``Apple COVID-19'' will anonymously aggregate information such as user's age, health condition, symptoms, potential exposure risk, place of residence in an aggregated manner in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Information can now be shared with health authorities such as. This information will allow health authorities to keep up to date with the latest information about COVID-19 and more effectively implement COVID-19 measures.

The user's information is shared without including information such as name or phone number that can identify personal information, and it is transmitted in a state where it is aggregated with the data of other people, so that the anonymity of the user is maintained. You can share information while keeping it. Apple says it will only share information if users agree to share their answers, ``CDC and the sanitary authorities in the approved states provide information only to improve screening tools and address the COVID-19 pandemic. You can use it.'

Please note that 'Apple COVID-19' is just a screening tool and is not related to the COVID-19 contact tracking system developed by Apple and Google.

Although 'Apple COVID-19' is not distributed on the App Store in Japan, the Japanese version of the website where the screening tool can be used is available.

Coronavirus (COVID‑19)-Apple and CDC
https://www.apple.com/covid19/