As discussed in a previous post, both Google and Apple and have released software to help notify individuals who have come into contact with others who tested positive for COVID-19. This software was met with mixed reactions, many of which were focused on the privacy concern involved with letting the US government have access to users GPS data. Radicalogical Technology's recent application (US Pub. No. 20170024531) might be the key to addressing some of these issues.

The '4531 application describes a system intended to be primarily utilized by hospital and health care workers. This system would provide each staff member in a hospital with a small portable sensor that tracks their location using either GPS of WIFI signal. The wearers location would be automatically mapped throughout the day. When someone comes in contact with a known pathogen, the system is able to notify all other users who came within close contact of the potentially infected worker. The sensor could then be left at work, and since it is not linked to cellular devices, there would be no tracking outside the location of employment. 

Although this does not address infection outside of the workplace, it could help provide a better method of tracing infections throughout hospital and healthcare systems. To stay up-to-date with recent pandemic patent activity and related news, subscribe to Magic Numbers Pandemic/Epidemic Patent Forecast®.