New study says contact tracing apps may be ineffective to control coronavirus spread
Contact tracing app
Apps that are used for contact tracing in the wake of novel coronavirus are not likely to contain the virus's spread without following measures that include social distancing and closure of indoor spaces, according to a review of studies.
The study in the UK, published in health journal Lancet on Thursday, reviewed 15 studies, comprising more than 4,000 papers on automated and partially-automated contact tracing.
The researchers from University College London (UCL) found that the evidence on the effectiveness of automated contact tracing system presently is very limited.
It suggests that manual contact tracing on a large-scale going hand-in-hand with measures such as social distancing and closing indoor spaces such as pubs can be done along with automated approaches.
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"Across a number of modelling studies, we found a consistent picture that although automated contact tracing could support manual contact tracing, the systems will require large-scale uptake by the population and strict adherence to quarantine advice by contacts notified to have a significant impact on reducing transmission, said lead author Isobel Braithwaite, reported news agency PTI.
Braithwaite said that automated contact tracing has shown "some" promise in helping reduce community transmission of COVID-19, but their research underscored "the urgent need for further evaluation of these apps within public health practice"
"None of the studies we found provided real-world evidence of their (automated contact tracing) effectiveness, and to improve our understanding of how they could support manual contact tracing systems, he said.
Braithwaite also said that reliance on these automated apps also pose privacy risks and can exclude older people who are not adept with technology.
"Too much reliance on automated contact tracing apps may also increase the risk of COVID-19 for vulnerable and digitally-excluded groups such as older people and people experiencing homelessness," Braithwaite said.