The vital role of smartphone apps during the COVID-19 pandemic

News-Medical.Net July 9, 2023
By Pooja Toshniwal Paharia Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.

At the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, analog techniques like nasopharyngeal swab specimens for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were prominent. The widespread use of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as facemasks and social distancing was reminiscent of the influenza outbreak in 1918.

Despite the prevalence of smartphones throughout the world, scientific studies on digital technology, especially those concerning smartphone use, have been limited. As a result, the capacity of digital tools to rapidly detect and trace the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and evaluate treatment response remains largely unknown.

In a recent study published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers review smartphone applications used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smartphone application usage during COVID-19

Smartphone...

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