How can an app help the fight against COVID-19? Combating the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic requires the rapid identification of people who have come into recent contact with confirmed cases of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This allows for timely interventions such as evacuation and disinfection of spaces and for assistance in locating people who have been close to a carrier or have been exposed to the virus, so that they too can be appropriately tested or treated. CovTracer is a mobile app for location tracking. It has been used at a country-scale experiment in Cyprus with more than 10,000 users. The app aims to contribute to the reduction of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our country. The app was developed by a team of researchers and experts at RISE. Andreas Kamilaris is an MRG leader at RISE and the key topics of this presentations are: - Need for ICT and mobile apps - CovTracer features - Aspects of privacy in contact tracing - Initial results - Future plans

1. Presenter: Andreas Kamilaris
Team Leader@RISE
14 May 2020
ONLINE WEBINAR
How can an app help the fight against COVID-19?

2. Motivation
• The use of a mobile app
which tracks the development
of the pandemics can help
significantly in more informed
decision- and policy-making,
towards drastic and effective
measures to contain its
outspread.

3. CENTRAL PHILOSOPHY
DIGITAL TOOLS TO HELP THE CITIZENS,
THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE GOVERNMENT
AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS
• Reduce the spread of the virus through the
collaboration between
government/authorities and citizens
• We inform and empower citizens
• We offer digital tools to help citizens
contribute with valuable data, info and
knowledge, helping themselves, their
families and the society.
• We trace the virus, not the citizens!

4. What is the CovTracer app?
• Application for mobile devices
• Records user movements via GPS (for now)
• It informs the public from reputable governmental sources
• Facilitates patient contact tracking
• Respects user privacy
• Allows you to manage requests to leave the home
• Gives you advice based on symptoms you may have

5. Complete app based on the guidelines of WHO
Extending the technology PrivateKit of ΜΙΤ, endorsed by WHO.
«A goal is to reduce privacy implications by keep data local to the
phone and only sharing minimal information with explicit
information. This is to make the acceptable across many different
cultures. The plan is to leverage the PrivateKit technology from
MIT.»

6. Who are the people behind CovTracer?
Professor Yiorgos Chrysanthou, Research Director, RISE
Core Team
• Dr Andreas Kamilaris, SuPerWorld Team Leader, RISE
• Dr Alessandro Artusi, DeepCamera Team Leader, RISE
• Dr Melinos Averkiou, VCG Team Leader, RISE
• Dr Panagiotis Charalambous, V-EUPNEA Team Leader RISE
• Mr Filippos Karailanidis, Backend Developer, XM
• Mr Stefanos Christoforou, Lead Developer
• Mr Petros Kyriakou, Research Associate, RISE
• Assoc. Professor Vasos Vassiliou, SNS Team Leader, RISE
• Dr Demetris Antoniades, DARE Team Leader, RISE
Other Team Members
• Mr Marios Loizou, Research Associate, VCG MRG, RISE
• Mr Yiangos Georgiou, Research Associate, VCG MRG, RISE
• Mr Andreas Andreou, Special Scientist, UCY
• Mr Iacovos Kouppas, LL.M. , Senior Manager, Law, Prountzos
& Prountzos LLC
• Mr Costas Kokkinos, IT Officer, RISE
• Mr Sofronis Themistocleous, Project Manager, UCY
• Ms Maria Ioannou, Marketing Officer, RISE
• Ms Anthoula Fotsiou Psoma, Innovation Manager, RISE
• Ms Elizabeth Kassinis, Senior Communications Officer, RISE
• Mr Panagiotis Theotis, Accounting Officer, RISE
• Dr Marios Kyriakou, Project Manager, RISE
• Dr Styliani Petroudi, Senior Project Manager, RISE
• Ms Charis Theocharous, RISE Project Coordinator, European
Affair Officer, Municipality of Nicosia
• Ms Anna Magidou, Multimedia Specialist

7. Which devices does CovTracer support;

8. Which languages does CovTracer support?
Ελληνικά
ΙΧΝΗΛΑΤΗΣ CovTracer
English Turkish
CovTracer

9. How does the app record the movements of the user?
Step 1 Step 2

10. How does the app record the movements of the user?
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Fully respecting
user privacy
The user exports
his/her location data
only if he/she wishes to
do so!

11. How does this recording help tracing?
1. User shares geo-located data with
the epidemiologist.
2. The epidemiologist checks where the user was
during the last two weeks.

12. You may also import your location data from Google!

13. How are citizens informed?
Option for urgent alerts
and notifications to the
citizens

14. How can citizens fill declaration forms?
Step 1 Step 2

15. How does symptom checking/advice work?
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Final step: Advice
…

16. How do we exploit the symptoms declared by people?
Based on the users’ symptoms as declared via the app, the future hot
spots of the pandemic are predicted for the coming days!

17. • Fully developed.
• Tested based on
thousands users and
devices, more than 9K
downloads (1-2% of the
Cyprus population)
• Endorsed by the
Commissioner of Private
Data Protection,
Mrs Irene Loizidou
Nikolaidou
COVTRACER – A tested solution

18. COVTRACER – Stats for website
Announcement by the Government

19. COVTRACER – Stats for website

20. COVTRACER – Downloads of the Android app
Announcement by the Government
Media publicity

21. COVTRACER – Downloads of the Android app

22. COVTRACER – Feedback from people
• The 5G army! J
• Concerns about privacy and security
• Concerns about the map seen by others (e.g. wife)
• Small technical issues
• 95%+ of the Cypriot population were happy!

23. Why did we use GPS initially?
• Well known, widespread and accurate
technology
• Available on almost all modern mobile phones
• It consumes very little energy from phone’s
battery, measurements every 5 minutes
• There is no question of privacy of information.
The user selects if and when he wants to share
them with the epidemiologist
• You don't need a critical mass of users to work

24. Why did we use GPS initially?
• Provides knowledge of the geographical locations attended
by the patient in the last few days, for early intervention and
actions in order to avoid the further spread of the virus
(evacuation, disinfection, quarantine)
• Knowledge of geographical locations helps the patient
remember exactly where he/she was and when in the last
two weeks, in order to give accurate information to the
epidemiologist.
• It can oversee specific groups of citizens if they actually
comply with the quarantine imposed on them during the
lock-down period.

25. Yes, but what happens indoors?
• No information on how people come in close
touch/contact with each other.
• Bluetooth comes into play as an important
technology!

26. Bluetooth has important supporters!
• European Data Protection Board
• eHealth European Network
• Austria, Germany, Switzerland (PEPP-PT)
• World Health Organization
• Singapore (TraceTogether)

27. Next technical steps
Contact reporting via Bluetooth
as an alternative method of
tracing
Examples:
• Singapore TraceTogether
• Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing
(PEPP-PT)
• Co-Epi initiative

28. Most important Bluetooth-based initiatives
TraceTogether PEPP-PT Co-Epi

29. Most important Bluetooth-based initiatives
GAEN -Google Apple Exposure Notification protocols

30. Closing the loop: Privacy-preserving risk notifications
How can we close the loop, giving notifications to users on risk of infection?
Can we do it by fully respecting their privacy?

31. Closing the loop: Privacy-preserving risk notifications
Use hashing of location data!

32. Closing the loop: Privacy-preserving risk notifications

33. Closing the loop: Privacy-preserving risk notifications

34. Closing the loop: Privacy-preserving risk notifications
In both cases, GPS and Bluetooth, the user needs to use the app
in order to be notified!!

35. Next strategic steps
• Pilot in a touristic area claimed to be
COVID-19-free zone
• Pilot for testing the use of the GAEN
protocol, in collaboration with MIT

36. Most important Bluetooth-based initiatives
GPS + GAEN
Use geo-located data to give context to Bluetooth tracing!

37. General findings/observations
• Pandemics found us all unprepared
• We are in gray waters in terms of how ICT could help
• People are reluctant to share information, even for good causes.
• Such projects require carefully-prepared educational campaigns,
proper advertising and “marketing”
• Testimonies of trusted people among the public help.
• Generally, COVID-19 mobile apps have low adoption.

38. General findings/observations
Pilot Adoption Percentage of a contact recorded
Singapore 3M (60%) 36%
Australia 5M (20%) 4%
How many of those have the Bluetooth switched on?
How much time/distance are enough to declare risk?

39. COVTRACER
Part of an integrated national strategy for
control of the pandemics via ICT.
Multiple functions:
• Location tracking
• Contact tracing (Bluetooth is coming)
• Recording symptoms & advice
• Information & Education platform
• Emergency communication platform - for use in
emergencies
• Privacy and security measures

40. Thank you!
Andreas Kamilaris
Team Leader@RISE
Email: a.kamilaris@rise.org.cy
14 May 2020
ONLINE WEBINAR