Abu Dhabi authorities have launched a new Contact Tracing Assistant System for those infected with COVID-19. The Abu Dhabi Public Health Center and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health will send infected SMS messages and invite them to a virtual chat to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
Once users identify themselves, they will need to answer chat questions to help speed up their contact tracking processes. The task of the system is to predict the spread of infection and prevent it, as well as to identify cases of infection as quickly as possible.
So, the system will collect information on whether the person infected with the coronavirus has returned from abroad, whether he was at the workplace and with whom he came into close contact in the last 48 hours. In addition, she will request the contact details of the people with whom the communication took place in order to contact them.
All information registered in the system will be confidential and will not be passed on to third parties. The system is currently available in English and Arabic.
In late June, health authorities in Abu Dhabi approved the use of face scanners in the emirate to detect COVID-19. The Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Committee has begun installing appliances in shopping malls, residential areas, the airport, and at the entrances to the UAE capital.
During the pilot project, 20 thousand people were tested, and the devices demonstrated more than 90% sensitivity. If the scanner identifies a person as potentially infected with COVID-19, they will not be allowed to enter the premises. In addition, he will be required to pass a PCR test for coronavirus within 24 hours.
It is noted that the technology allows detecting coronavirus infection using electromagnetic waves: their frequency can change when COVID-19 enters the body.
The department stressed that scanners will be used along with other screening methods such as PCR testing. The instruments were developed by the Metropolitan EDE Institute. They are effective COVID-19 detectors.