Results of the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app at an all-time high

Ethan James 18 Jul 2021

In the week leading to July 7, the NHS COVID-19 app, the official contact tracing app for England and Wales, alerted a little over half a million users of their exposure to someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus, instructing them to self-isolate.
This figure indicates a 46% rise in the numbers from the previous week and is by far the highest weekly count since the initial release of the data in January.

The need to self-isolate post-exposure has resulted in a staffing shortage of some companies by 20%.  Some others are on the verge of closing down due to many employees being pinged by the app. This is particularly taking a toll on the automotive industry, union Unite warns.

The government has growing concerns about the number of people being pinged to self-isolate and stay off work. This necessitates the need for a more proportionate response to the increasing number of people being pinged. Some call for a reevaluation of the way the app works, paying particular attention to the sensitivity of the app and the algorithm for risk assessment. While the app calculates risk based on the proximity and duration, it does not consider the vaccination status of the two contacts, whether they are standing back to back, and if the area is well ventilated.

However, because there is a concomitant surge in case numbers, the government is rowing back on changing the sensitivity. With the Euro games just ended, epidemiologists have predicted a likely rise in infection rates in the coming weeks.

Do you think there should be a review of the algorithm of the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app? How have the results of the app affected staffing in your workplace? Share your thoughts with us by dropping a comment below.