Konrad’s app would identify who has virus

A POLISH man, living in Bantry for the last three years, has created an app that can identify the location of people with Covid-19.

Konrad Kaplan, who works in the Maritime Hotel as a porter. but also published a book on philosophy last November, came up with the idea for the ‘C Alert’ app at the beginning of March.

Konrad commissioned a freelance company to develop the actual mechanics of the app, which can identify the location of people who have tested positive for Covid-19.

The inventor told The Southern Star: ‘The app is designed to help people avoid contact with those infected with the coronavirus, but – in order for it to work – it would have to operate on a self-identifying principle whereby those who test positive would press the red button on their own app.’

That person then becomes visible – in real time – in red, on the map, for other app users to see. An additional benefit of the app is that it could assist with contact tracing because app users who were in the same place as the infected person – within the prescribed two-week period – would become visible on the app in yellow.

Konrad said: ‘The purpose of the app is to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in that it would identify a person with a confirmed infection, as well as all contacts that the person could potentially have infected.’

However, for the app to be truly effective, Konrad stressed: ‘It’s important for as many people as possible to use it.’

The inventor of the app confirmed the he would ‘not store user data,’ but he did say he would welcome assistance with the development of the app. He can be contacted via email: [email protected].