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COVID‐Apps: Misdirecting Public Health Attention in a Pandemic

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  • Susan Erikson

Abstract

When there is no vaccine for a disease, ‘Test, Trace, Treat/Isolate’ is the public health go‐to directive. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, mobile phone apps are designed to improve on this. But COVID‐apps have not been effective as a public health tool. Countries spend millions to develop them, yet they have been shown to have terrible return on investment. This commentary explores why COVID‐apps are generally championed and provides three brief case studies (Germany, Sierra Leone, Canada) of non‐app public health success. In conclusion, I argue that we need to get our public health care priorities straight: Better and more testing; increased investment in manual contact tracing and treatments; hospitalization when necessary; and wrap‐around care – assistance with groceries, cleaning, child‐ or eldercare responsibilities, telehealth doctor appointment hookups – for sick people in home isolation.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan Erikson, 2021. "COVID‐Apps: Misdirecting Public Health Attention in a Pandemic," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 12(S6), pages 97-100, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:12:y:2021:i:s6:p:97-100
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12888
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gene Moo Lee & Shu He & Joowon Lee & Andrew B. Whinston, 2020. "Matching Mobile Applications for Cross-Promotion," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(3), pages 865-891, September.
    2. Hye Rim Hong & Young In Kim & Shaofeng Liu, 2020. "A mobile application for personal colour analysis," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 1576828-157, July.
    3. Benjamin Burger & Phillip M. Maffettone & Vladimir V. Gusev & Catherine M. Aitchison & Yang Bai & Xiaoyan Wang & Xiaobo Li & Ben M. Alston & Buyi Li & Rob Clowes & Nicola Rankin & Brandon Harris & Rei, 2020. "A mobile robotic chemist," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7815), pages 237-241, July.
    4. Susan Erikson, 2020. "Pandemics show us what government is for," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(5), pages 441-442, May.
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