Do you have health complaints that might be coronavirus related? Residents in the Southeast Brabant region can now receive remote assistance for this via a free app.
‘The Corona Check’ lets people follow their health and get advice about a possible COVID-19 infection. The app’s being introduced in Eindhoven by Catharina Hospital. Last week, the app had already been downloaded by more than 110,000 people throughout the Netherlands.
Users say they like the app because it helps them easily consider their complaints every day. They also like that someone’s always checking the data they’ve sent. The user has to answer a few questions about their health, such as coughing, shortness of breath or fever, every day. A team supervised by doctors assesses the answers and takes action if necessary.
Accessible and reliable
“As long as there’s no vaccine, coronavirus infections will remain,” says Dr Pascal Wielders, a lung specialist at Catharina Hospital. “People will continue to have a lot of uncertainty about this. They need low-threshold, reliable information and advice when it comes to complaints that may indicate an infection. This app provides very accessible, quick answers to questions about COVID-19.”
Because users regularly fill in information about their health, a physician-supervised team can keep track of whether the coronavirus is possibly causing the user’s complaints. If needed, the user will be called by this team. They give advice and might refer the user to a health care provider, such as a general practitioner in their area.
The app’s not a replacement for regular or emergency care. If you’re seriously ill or have an emergency question, you must contact your GP. People can register for ‘The Corona Check’ on the link on the Catharina Hospital website. Please be advised that the app’s in Dutch.
Who can register?
You don’t necessarily have to be a Catharina Hospital patient. Users must be 18 or older and have a thermometer. You also have to have a smartphone or tablet with Android version 7 or higher or Apple version IOS12 or higher.
The Corona Check’ is an initiative of the Santeon hospital OLVG in Amsterdam and the company, Luscii, who developed the app. Five of the seven Santeon hospitals, including Catharina Hospital, now offer the online coronavirus check.
Source: Catharina Hospital
Translation: Melinda Walraven
