CHENNAI: The Central government’s Aarogya Setu app is a compulsory weapon in our war against the novel coronavirus. Users discuss the pros, cons, and upgradation features for effectiveness.
Sherline Shiny L, assistant professor
The app is a good initiative taken by the government to know about the COVID-19 active cases around us and to be cautious. It only provides the data of those who have installed this app. Many people might not have downloaded the app but still might be corona-positive. More awareness should reach among people about this app so that it will help all of us to be safe at home. The self-assessment part of the app helped me know about my current health status. It is quite beneficial and the feedback which it gives is good when it says ‘you are safe’ it brings a satisfactory feeling. It would be helpful if the privacy settings can be made stronger.
Alagiri Bhoomika, physiotherapist
It’s user-friendly and I believe they provide almost accurate numbers. It also gives precautionary tips. But, many of my friends were not able to get their e-passes approved through the app. The app has FAQs, which is useful. But if you need to get an e-pass, you need to log on to the state government’s website and then apply, and it’s a very long process. Secondly, some people feel they are being tracked by this app. So when they travel from one state to another, and are mandated to be quarantined, they keep their phones at home as a mere proxy and step out. This negates the whole purpose. It’s a good app if people realise that it’s for their well-being that the government is tracking them.
Ganapathy Subramaniam, writer
I have been using the app since it was released. I assessed my health, updated it and began monitoring the status of people in my vicinity. The 500 m status update gave me a sense of what is happening in my neighbourhood. The app allows me to monitor the status of my dear ones. My mother lives in Selaiyur, my sister in Chromepet, another sister in Bengaluru, and my brothers-in-law in Koyambedu and in New Delhi. I can see the situation around each one of them in my app. On the flip side, my family feels that it gives needless anxiety to have such updates but I find it useful. In an updated version it would be helpful to have a similar update from doctors, hospitals and clinics as to how many beds are available, how many have been hospitalised with symptoms in the past 24 hours etc, within 500 m or 1 km radius. Also, the availability of drugs and medical equipment in medical stores with some kind of inventory update will help one to get to the right place quickly. This can eventually extend to other services and their availability, like petrol/diesel at pumps etc, within the vicinity. If every critical service provider can update dynamically what is available at the moment at the place, it will enable us in a more general manner beyond the COVID-19 situation.
Sujay Seetharaman, industry analyst
It helps me track the number of cases. The app is offered in several Indian languages, which is good as most of us don’t speak English.It gives an option to take a self-assessment test, which is great. But people generally tend to underplay the numbers due to the prevailing anxiety.They are unsure if they will be taken to the hospital and contract the virus there. People might not be truthful in reporting the numbers and you might think you are reading the correct data, in a radius of 5 km. The numbers tend to be unreliable and have to be taken with a pinch of salt. It would be useful if the app gives a city and district-wise breakdown for all states.
SM Bharatwaj, banker
Being a part of essential services, the usage of the Arogya Setu app is critical. We face customers every day and help them with banking transactions. The app helps in keeping us safe and also tells us about the COVID-19 heatmap in your surroundings.On the flip side, unless everyone in our society uses this app, the effectiveness of this is less. The app gives you good, reliable information about COVID-19 status among all users leaving out those who don’t use. This may lead to inaccurate information.
Santadeep Dey, journalist
I used the app on May 29 when I had to take a flight to Kolkata from Chennai. It was mandatory for all passengers travelling to install the app and add details. The concept works provided everyone enters the correct details about themselves. When I was asked to download the app, my ticket was booked and the money had been paid. Although I didn’t have any reason to lie about my details, it was evident that anyone could enter the wrong information just to be able to get on the flight and not lose their money. An update added recently traces my location and shows me if I have come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person, but this is possible only if they have downloaded the app. All in all, the app is of no use if people don’t enter the correct information. And there is no one to monitor if they did or not.
Venkatesh Ramanathan, software engineer
I have been using the Aarogya Setu app for the last three months. The features of the app help us understand the pandemic situation, leaving no room to unwanted chaos from outside rumours. It encourages us to assess ourselves frequently. The app also provides local insights with details on how many have been tested positive. I usually check the media and COVID-19 updates to check if we are flattening the curve or not. Its integration with helpline numbers and the response to that is noteworthy. With all the above, and patronage of 14.52 crore installations, I see this as an effective medium for us. A point of improvement could be to upgrade the current set of questions as they are very basic. The app can also feature an option to update known medical history to have correct action in case of emergencies. Also, it can have an individual journal for recording temperature frequently, test results and medications.
Jayanth Kashyap, impact investor
I have been using the Aarogya Setu app ever since it was launched in April this year. Although it was announced as an open-source contact tracing app (via Bluetooth), it took me a while to understand the efficacy of the solution. Today, I use it as a source of information on positive cases in my area within a 500 m radius. I think the user interface is simple and the application does a good job of creating awareness.
Pranav Kumar, app developer
I have been using the app ever since it was announced by the Prime Minister and subsequent recommendations from the ministry. I am really impressed by the way privacy is maintained around the app where our details are stored locally and transmitted only after our consent. I am a little let down by how the app response is with the state and local body associates. Once when I took the self-assessment and kept the status as well, nobody actually called me from the ministry. The feature of unwell users in Bluetooth vicinity also doesn’t work well in iOS. The government had also made the app source code public. Enthusiasts should contribute codes to make the app better.
Hemamalini,homemaker
Though the app is useful, it has its shortcomings too. For example, we need to turn on the Bluetooth to get notifications/warning about entering a containment zone, or if an infected person is in proximity. It is also quite difficult to get updates about the actual number of cases. Moreover, the accessibility of the app across segments — people from low-income groups, senior citizens and so on — is questionable as many of them might not have a smartphone and/or even if they do, they might not know how to use the app.
Inputs: Naaz Ghani, Roshne Balasubramanian, Vaishali Vijaykumar