COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new app is being developed to help identify those who have been exposed to the coronavirus in the Palmetto State.
Leaders with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), State Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Clemson University have been working alongside Apple and Google developers to create the app and shared the details with state leaders during a meeting Wednesday.
Once created, participation would be optional, but, for those who choose to use it, they will be notified of a positive test result from other users who choose to share.
Those who test positive will not be identified, according to health leaders. Instead, results will be shared anonymously.
"For the greater good, I basically ... say, yes, I want everybody to know that I’ve tested positive who’ve been around me," Russ Kuarlato, Chief Information Officer for Clemson, said. "So, everyone who’s opted-in will then just get a notification that then says you’ve been in close proximity to someone that's tested positive on this date and time relative within that 14-day period. That's all it does, then it’s on you as the individual to then react to it.”
They're hoping to test the app with participating students at Clemson University in the coming months to study its effectiveness.