Buzz
In today’s world, we’re constantly faced with decisions about which activities are safe to engage in and which ones to avoid. A new app, MyCovidRisk, simplifies this process by helping you assess the likelihood of coronavirus exposure during various activities, whether it’s shopping, socializing, or exercising.
One of the app’s standout features is its ability to factor in your location, currently limited to the U.S. Your risk of catching COVID-19 heavily depends on the prevalence of the virus in your area, a detail often overlooked when focusing solely on personal precautions. For instance, a family gathering’s risk level can vary drastically depending on whether it’s held in a hotspot or a low-risk zone with minimal cases.
Developed at Brown University, the app prompts you with a few questions about your planned activity. For example, if I’m considering a haircut, I input details like: indoors, hair salon, 30 minutes, and estimate the number of people present (say, 10). It also asks about mask usage, and since my area is generally compliant, I select 90%. The app then calculates this as a “medium risk” activity for my location.
The app includes a feature to minimize your risk, allowing you to specify details such as the type of mask you’ll wear. You can also tweak other factors, like shortening the duration of your activity. For instance, if I select an N95 mask and frequent handwashing, the app rates the activity as “low risk.”
While this risk assessment tool isn’t foolproof and can’t account for every possible variable affecting your risk, it provides a solid starting point. It incorporates current knowledge about how the coronavirus appears to spread through aerosols, considering factors like room size and ventilation quality.
If your planned activity isn’t listed as a preset, you can create a custom entry by specifying the space’s dimensions. I tested several of my routine activities. For example, visiting a gym I occasionally use was initially rated as “medium risk,” but after adding more precise details, it dropped to “low.” An outdoor run without a mask, with minimal interaction, was deemed “low risk.” Conversely, an indoor family visit without masks, even with just a few people, was flagged as “high risk,” which feels accurate given the uncertainty of others’ exposure.
