In less than two weeks a team of 15 designers and software developers produced SymptoTrack, a platform meant to track as many cases of COVID-19 infections as possible. The more people, who currently are not tested, register their symptoms at SymptoTrack.org, the better we will be able to map the spread of the coronavirus.
Initiated by social entrepreneur Adrian Dongus the open-source platform SymptoTrack was developed by volunteers from three Dutch internet design and development agencies Greenberry (design), Hike (development) and Forest (development and hosting). They worked day and night to develop the site as quickly as possible.
The idea behind the platform is that under the current circumstances, with limited testing capacity throughout the world, individuals with mild COVID-19 symptoms are told to stay at home and their cases are not calculated in the statistics. This means we don’t have an accurate view on the scale and speed at which the virus spreads.
More up-to-date data
SymptoTrack collects data from individuals who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. By aggregating data on proxy indicators of the virus the platform can map its spread and expose those cases that are currently left untested and underreported. People just fill in a list of questions on the most occurring symptoms, together with a postal code or address. Without pinpointing individual addresses, the platform visualizes the COVID-19 spread on a map. This enables public health professionals and healthcare providers to better anticipate and respond to new hotspots, prepare for surges in severe cases requiring hospitalization and allocate resources effectively.
Simultaneously, this platform will function as an early warning system for citizens to monitor the number of, and increase in symptomatic cases in the area where they live and work. The makers believe this information will help increase the sense of urgency so individuals will modify their behavior and adhere to the prescribed measures taken by governments.
English version underway
The platform starts in Dutch, but an English version is underway. Moreover, the code of the platform is entirely open source, so that the system can be established in other countries as well.
