New health app tracks Zika
I’ve been watching the Summer 2016 Olympics from Rio, and it’s been exciting! But along with the competition, spectators and athletes have had to worry about the Zika virus. I recently learned that the Brazilian Ministry of Health has developed a new app that will crowdsource health symptoms and map out any spread of the Zika virus and other communicable diseases.
The Guardioes de Saude app encourages users to upload daily information about their symptoms, reporting any information to do with respiratory issues, diarrhea, or rashes. it’s completely voluntary, and those users can register with their basic information and allow the app to access their location. The Ministry uses the data to create a Health Map, allowing people to follow health conditions near them in real-time.
The company estimates as many as 50,000 installations.