JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Some of the most vexing issues with the COVID-19 pandemic was the inability for facilities and events, such as schools and work areas, to track symptoms amongst individuals to mitigate the spread of the disease. To combat these challenges, many turned to the implementation of technology. Technology solutions to mitigate repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic include tools that provide guidelines and interfaces to influence behavior, reduce exposure to the disease, and enable policy-driven avenues to return to a sense of normalcy (e.g., for school and work). This paper presents the implementation and early evaluation of a return-to-work COVID-19 symptom and risk assessment tool. The system was implemented across 34 institutions of health and education in [state], including over 174k users with over 4 million total uses and over 86k reports of exposure risk between July 2020 and April 2021.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing technology, specifically a COVID-19 symptom and risk assessment tool, to mitigate spread of COVID-19 within public spaces.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study that evaluated the relationship between confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related symptoms and exposure reported through the [app name] web-based mobile application. Dependent variable confirmed COVID-19 cases in [state] were obtained from the [state department of health]. Independent variables, (i.e. health symptoms) were collected through [app name] survey data and included measures assessing COVID-19-related risk levels and symptoms. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the relationship between the confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and self-reported health symptoms and exposure via [app name].

Results:

Results suggests that congestion or runny nose was the most frequently reported symptom. Sore throat, low risk, high risk, nausea, and vomiting were all statistically significant factors. The average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 5 (high risk: β=5.10, p <.05), decreased by 24 (sore throat: β= -24.03, p <.05), and increased by 21 (nausea or vomiting: β=21.67, p <.05) per day for every additional self-report of symptoms by [app name] survey respondents.

Conclusions:

The use of technology allowed organizations to remotely track a population as it related to COVID-19. [app name] was a platform that aided in symptom tracking, risk assessment, and evaluation of status for admitting individuals into public spaces for individuals in the [state] area. [app name] was one of the first technologies created to track COVID-19 symptoms.