COVIDWISE: Commonwealth of Virginia Exposure Notification App
COVIDWISE: the official COVID-19 Exposure Notification App for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
Situation Overview
COVIDWISE is the official COVID-19 Exposure Notification app for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health (VDH). This app was developed in partnership with Google Cloud and the Virginia Department of Health using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) API framework created through a unique collaboration between Apple and Google Exposure Notification API.
How COVIDWISE Works
If someone reports to the app that they tested positive, the signals from their app will search for other app users who shared that signal. The BLE signals are date-stamped and the app estimates how close the two devices were based on signal strength. If the timeframe was at least 15 minutes and the estimated distance was within six feet, then the other user receives a notification of a possible exposure. No names! No location!
The BLE framework within COVIDWISE will run in the background, even if the exposure notification app is closed. It will not drain the device battery at a rate that would occur with other apps that use normal Bluetooth and/or are open and running constantly. To learn more visit the COVIDWISE website.
“We must continue to fight COVID-19 from every possible angle,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
“The COVIDWISE exposure notification app gives you an additional tool to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community, while maintaining your personal privacy. I encourage all Virginians to download and use this app, so we can work together to contain this virus.”
“As COVID-19 cases increase across the Commonwealth, it is important for people to know whether they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the disease,” said Virginia State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A.
“COVIDWISE will notify you if you’ve likely been exposed to another app user who anonymously shared a positive COVID-19 test result. Knowing your exposure history allows you to self-quarantine effectively, seek timely medical attention and reduce potential exposure risk to your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. The more Virginians use COVIDWISE, the greater the likelihood that you will receive timely exposure notifications that lead to effective disease prevention.”
“Working with SpringML, we’re proud to help the Commonwealth of Virginia better track the spread of COVID-19,” said Mike Daniels, Vice President of Public Sector, Google Cloud.
“With Google Cloud’s secure infrastructure and SpringML’s expertise in data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the COVIDWISE app will increase community awareness of exposure to the virus and help improve the health of Virginia citizens.”
Google Cloud, SpringML, and the Virginia Department of Health worked together to build this app in a matter of weeks with amazing traction in the first week.
Deployment Time 6 Weeks
300K+ Downloads in 1st Week
