OSU, Oregon Health Authority testing COVID-19 notification app
Oregon State University is teaming up with the Oregon Health Authority to test a smartphone-based system that notifies users about possible exposure to COVID-19.
OSU faculty, staff and students can participate exclusively in the Oregon Exposure Notifications pilot program before it is available to cellphone users throughout Oregon.
“[The Oregon Exposure] is another important tool in our efforts to protect one another and to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said Steve Clark, vice president for university relations and marketing at OSU.
The exposure notifications system quickly alerts users when they may have been in close proximity, through day-to-day interactions, to someone who might have exposed them to COVID-19. The system does not replace traditional contact tracing efforts, nor does it collect, share or reveal the user's location or identity.
How the notification app works
"For every phone that's opted in, our technology disguises your identity by generating a random sequence of numbers that change every few minutes. Then using BlueTooth, any time your phone detects another phone close by that's also opted in, the two exchange the random numbers," according to a video by Google.
Apple and Google have been collaborating to develop the privacy software that protects the user, but aids the fight against COVID-19.
If a user reports that they have tested positive for COVID-19, the system will alert each person they made sustained contact with in the last 14 days. These alerts remain confidential even with a positive viral status.
Watch:Exposure Notifications System: Helping Health Authorities fight COVID-19
Participants also can quickly and anonymously alert other users if they test positive.
The Exposure Notifications system is embedded in Apple devices using iOS 13.7 or higher and requires an app for Android-based phones. The technology was designed to protect user privacy and no personal information is exchanged between users’ devices, according to OSU in a news release.
If a user receives an alert about potential exposure, they also will receive information about important health steps to take next.
5,000 installed and counting
Participants in the Oregon State pilot program who receive an exposure notification will be invited to get a free follow-up COVID-19 test through TRACE-OSU, the university’s COVID-19 testing program.
Since the exposure notifications system became available to OSU students, faculty and staff earlier this month, nearly 5,000 people have installed it; about 3,800 using Apple iOS systems and about 1,000 using Android devices
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The pilot program is expected to last four to six weeks. It is intended to help officials understand how the exposure notifications system can best support the health of Oregonians. If the system is found to be helpful for public health efforts, continued work toward statewide implementation is planned.
OSU students, faculty and staff participating in this pilot program is another way they can make a positive impact, Clark said in the release of OSU's role.
Contact reporter Dana Sparks at dsparks@registerguard.com or 541-338-2243, and follow her on Twitter @danamsparks and Instagram @danasparksphoto. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.