Corona App Shows London No Longer "Hotspot"

An app that asks users to record any signs of illness finds that London is no longer an infection hotspot.

11:10 22 April 2020

A sympton-tracker app developed by researchers at Kings College London and health tech startup Zoe shows that London is no longer an infection hotspot. The app, which asks people to records any signs of illness, or an absence of symptoms, has generated data showing that the rate of infection in London has been cut by one third in the past two weeks. Boroughs that show the lowest rates of coronavirus include Tower Hamlets (1.68per cent), Greenwich (1.71per cent), and Croydon (1.73per cent). 

 

Lead researcher Professor Tim Spector said that although the numbers are reassuring, now is "definitely not the time for complacency." 

 

He said: "We believe our population symptoms are changing around two weeks before most people are admitted to hospital.

 

"The data from the app is giving us insight into just how common the virus is and how differently it affects people." 

 

He added: "What the data tell us is that there is still a large number of infectious people in the UK with mild symptoms, so to quickly lift the lockdown would be appropriate."