Coronavirus Australia 12+

There is a website about from Swinburne University of Technology that forms a questionnaire regarding symptoms. This app could potentially also include something similar, in order to feed data into the public health system? for example, an optional extra might be to add a section to log symptoms, or ‘where have I been’ and ‘who have I seen’, so that if a person rests positive for COVID there is a record to assist public health with finding hotspots and contact tracing.

The app could also ask of the person when they first join - are you a member of the public, are you a health professional, which state are you in, what is your location. Notifications could be tailored to the type of individual using the app. I am a health professional in NSW, for instance, and I am finding it quite hard to keep up with the sheer volume of information and when it has been changed. I would find it super helpful, for example, if I were to receive a notification regarding changes in suspected case definition.

Otherwise it looks like a really great start, but could have some added functionality that might assist in information gathering for public health purposes!

The app is good for up-to-date, reliable advice and facts, but a few features could make it great. The Status page could include a “drill down” for each state and territory, including daily change (%), and more accurate location information. I would really appreciate being aware of how many confirmed cases there is in my local area. Moreover, if the app includes a Register isolation feature, then it should include an option to report instances where people are not doing the right thing. Finally, I feel it should be necessary to include how many people have recovered. When the mainstream media use a click bait headline like “COVID-19 CASES SURPASS 4000”. The app needs to show these numbers in context — even using a simple pie chart. Because if the mortality rate is approximately 0.4%, 20% may require hospitalisation, and 80% will experience moderate flu-like symptoms for around 2 weeks, then clearly there is not 4,000 people walking around with coronavirus.

This app is a great way to get reliable information that has been verified by the federal government. It would be great if, rather than just show the raw counts of cases, it also showed the transmission source breakdown. We have been told by the PM that it is two thirds imported cases, but that isn’t then reflected here so you have to go hunting and look elsewhere. Obviously the sites that do have this info get it from a federal source, so it would be good to show it all in one place.

Otherwise well done for putting together a comprehensive app. It will be great when it also includes contact tracing. If it could also link into local government coronavirus websites by clicking on the state, that would be fantastic (SecureNT for example).

Thanks again! :)