Multiple private and state organisations have joined forces to develop a new mobile app, Mor Chana, which was launched yesterday to help people assess their coronavirus infection risk, assist health authorities in tracking users in close contact with infected people and prevent transmission among healthcare workers.
Data drawn from the app will be analysed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems for epidemiology, handled by the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
"It took two weeks to develop the app with collaboration from volunteers, citizens and the private and public sectors, all who wish to support physicians and medical teams who serve as the front-line warriors in the fight against Covid-19," said Anuchit Anuchitanukul, a representative of the app development team.
The software developer group Code for Public and a group of specialists in software and data analysis known as Chuay Kan Group helped build the app. They were supported by educational institutes, hospitals, public health authorities, and public and private organisations.
The app can be downloaded at https://morchana.app.link/download, as well as via Android's Play Store and the iOS App Store.
The app can help identify individuals who have been exposed to virus patients using GPS and Bluetooth technology to track their location.
Using the app, health authorities will be able to identify individuals who have been in close contact with infected people. This could also help prevent medical practitioners from contracting the disease.
"General app users who are not medical professionals can use the app to locate the risk areas and adjust their travel plans accordingly," Mr Anuchit said.
The app's registration is done anonymously. Registrants can use only their mobile phone number for the process.
They have to answer health assessment questions and receive risk level results shown in four colours: green (lowest risk), yellow (low risk), orange (risk) and red (high risk).
Risk level assessment can reduce the number of health professionals who contract the virus, particularly from patients who did not tell the truth, Mr Anuchit said.
He said the Mor Chana app has layers of privacy safeguards. All data collected is stored and displayed in an anonymous form. Users will be asked to share these records only when contacted by the authorities as part of contact tracing investigations.
Data from the app will be processed by the DDC iLAB analytic platform, which combines epidemiology analysis and AI technology to identify users who may be in proximity to infected people, said Sutthipong Phanthanalai, who developed DDC iLAB.
Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said the app strictly complies with privacy and data protection laws.
An independent committee will be set up to monitor the data management process and ensure that procedures comply with conditions stipulated in the Personal Data Protection Act.
All logs will be deleted immediately after the crisis ends, Mr Buddhipongse said.
"This contact tracing approach will play a significant role in containing the spread of Covid-19," he said. "It needs citizens to contribute to society by downloading it to help stop the viral spread and mitigate wider social and economic impacts."