It is amazing how the global landscape can change from one day to the next. At a certain moment we are fine, going about our daily routine and then everything turns into chaos.
That was just what happened with the arrival of Covid-19 in the world. This disease does not discriminate race, social position, age or sex. All people are exposed and as vulnerable as a newly hatched chick.
The appearance of Covid in our lives added one more concern to those we already had. For example, previously, we struggled to get daily support, shelter, a roof, the payment of services and taxes, education, etc. Now, we worry about all that and about not getting this virus, which is deadly in some specific cases.
Regardless of how much we do to prevent it, such as washing our hands several times a day, exposing ourselves to the sun, coughing or sneezing into the forearm, using alcohol gel, maintaining social distancing, keeping quarantine, etc. The truth is that at any time we can become infected.
Now, is there anything else we can do to avoid contagion or should we simply resign ourselves to the fact that one day it will inevitably happen? Did you know that it is now possible to use technology to prevent contagion? Yes, Android has devised a system that notifies you when you are exposed to Covid-19, would you like to know how it works?
In this short article you will learn everything you need to know about this cutting-edge system. How to use it? How does it work? What advantages does it have? How can you install it? Among many other things. Therefore, we encourage you to continue reading it until the end. This is not an unimportant matter. Your health and that of your family is at stake. Therefore, you have to take things seriously and get to work.
Instructions for using Covid exposure notifications on Android
It is Apes intended for applications, services and other solutions, which are integrated into the Android system. Through Bluetooth it is now possible to alert a user whether or not they are in contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive.
It is a way to alert in order to take the necessary preventive measures and also to be aware in case you develop any type of symptom.
Since, in this case, the technology used is Bluetooth; each mobile device will have a unique and anonymous key to identify it. The applications will be able to communicate with each other, by registering the keys of those to which we are exposed.
This function will remain active even if you do not have coverage, mobile data or relocation, which means that you can protect your privacy 100%.
To access it, you must follow the following steps on your mobile phone:
- Open configuration settings.
- Enter the section
- Finally, click on the Covid-19 Exposure Notifications button.
As you may have noticed, it is a very simple procedure. You can even do it with your eyes closed. But, what do you need to be able to enjoy this Covid prevention system? Let’s see it right now.
What do you need to use Covid exposure notifications on Android?
- The first thing you should do is download an official app from the public health authorities where you live. These apps have an exposure notifications badge and you can download them through the Play Store under the name “exposure notifications” or some other similar name.
- The next thing will be to consult or change the phone settings. Check that your phone has Android version 6.0 or higher. You will then need to turn on Bluetooth.
If you’re running Android 10 or earlier, you’ll need to turn on your phone’s location settings. The system needs to have access to this in order to track Bluetooth signals. However, it will not collect your personal location data.
Now, if you have a phone with Android 11, the previous procedure, of activating the location settings, will not be necessary.
But how is it possible that a simple application can determine if we have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus?
=> Join the Waitlist for Early Access.
Tips for using Covid exposure notifications on Android
Since factors that indicate exposure to the virus are determined by government public health authorities, this app will only detect if you have been in contact with someone who has been reported as having Covid-19.
The system is likely to share some important data with you, such as the following:
- When the contact occurred, that is, the day it happened.
- The time that said contact lasted, if any.
- The intensity of the Bluetooth signal of that infected person.
As noted above, these apps, provided by public health authorities, do not have permission to use your phone’s location. In addition, the exposure notification system itself also does not use or share this information with other users of the application or with Google or Apple.
Of course, in case you want to turn off exposure notifications, you can do that too. In addition, you will have the opportunity to delete your exposure history and, if you have been exposed to Covid, the app will send you a notification telling you what to do next.
The purpose of this application is to avoid contagion. But, in case it has already occurred, it will help you to be aware of what is the procedure that you must follow to recover your health and not infect someone else.
Tanner Abraham
Data Scientist and Software Engineer with a focus on experimental projects in new budding technologies that incorporate machine learning and quantum computing into web applications.
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