China launches coronavirus ‘close contact detector’ in effort to reassure public over health risks

In the latest effort to contain the coronavirus epidemic, China has launched a platform for the public to detect if someone has had close contact with a person confirmed or suspected to have been infected in the recent past.

The platform, called a “close contact detector”, uses big data on the movement of people and records from public authorities to see if they have within the last two weeks worked, lived, or travelled with a person confirmed or suspected to have the virus.

It can be accessed via popular mobile apps including Alipay, WeChat and QQ. After having registered with a phone number, users need put in their name and national identity number to track their activity against the movement of known people who are infected to gauge their risk level.

The platform pays particular attention to public transport records, including trains and flights, where booking a seat in China requires the input of ID information.

Any passenger who has sat within three rows to the front and back of a confirmed or suspected virus carrier is judged to be at risk. Flight attendants who provide cabin service are also regarded as being in close contact, while others are classified as having general contact, according to an official news report on Xinhua.