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App developed at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg to provide important information for a better understanding of the coronavirus disease based on daily questionnaires

Much is still not understood about the coronavirus and the associated disease. The new "COVID-19 Symptom Tracker" app, which was co-developed at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, aims to provide clarity and enable better diagnostics. After collecting anonymous data from users and their pre-existing conditions, daily questionnaires are used to document their state of health. If there are any indications that strongly suggest a COVID-19 disease, users are notified accordingly. Of course, the app does not replace contact with a doctor and cannot confirm or rule out an infection with absolute certainty. However, the researchers in Freiburg can use the anonymized data to evaluate the progression, frequency and timing of certain symptoms as well as indications of risk factors. "The app opens up a new dimension in data collection. It can thus provide important information on the course of COVID-19 and may even help to detect diseases at an early stage and thus prevent them from spreading," says Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

"Our starting point is that we know relatively little about the symptoms of COVID-19," says study leader Dr. Dr. Martin Zens (Medical Center - University of Freiburg and Füssen Hospital). In addition to frequently reported symptoms such as cough and fever, diarrhea, shortness of breath, headaches and other symptoms are also signs of infection with the coronavirus. "This is not easy, especially for GPs or physicians in emergency departments. They see patients with a positive smear test who are discharged into home quarantine. They are left with an uneasy feeling as it is unclear how the disease will develop," says Zens. One important aspect is the high number of unreported cases of people infected with coronavirus who are not detected or tested. The app is intended to collect important data to better understand the disease and how it spreads.

The app is available for iOS, an Android version will follow in a few days. There is currently language support for German, English, Spanish and French. The app is based on the Eureqa.io platform for mobile studies, whose underlying technology was developed jointly with the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and DESIGN-IT GmbH and funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg. All data is anonymized and stored in encrypted form on a server in Germany.

All adults aged 18 and over can take part. An invitation is not required. The app can be downloaded if the symptoms of the disease are unclear, after contact with coronavirus-positive patients or in case of uncertainty. After a basic questionnaire, which takes around five minutes to complete, the app asks about current symptoms on a daily basis. It takes about three minutes a day. "Time well spent!" says Zens. "The more people take part, the more valid the findings become."

Contact:
Dr. Dr. Martin Zens
Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery
Medical Center - University of Freiburg
zens@eureqa.io

Further information:
https://www.eureqa.io/covid-19