Detecting COVID-19 infection hotspots in England using large-scale self-reported data from a mobile application: a prospective, observational study
Analysis of data collected by the COVID Symptom Study app (Zoe Global; 2,842,732 users with valid information) found estimates of incidence and prevalence showed a similar sensitivity to changes reported in the ONS and REACT-1 studies.
Source:
The Lancet Public Health
SPS commentary:
The researchers say their findings suggest mobile technology can be used to provide real-time data on the local and national state of the pandemic. By integrating symptom reports with PCR test results, it was able to highlight regions that might have increases in Covid-19 cases; this approach could therefore be a complementary way for governments to monitor Covid-19 spread.