Some of the UK’s largest charities are to help the developers of a Covid-19 Symptom Tracker app get the over-70s to use it.
So far more than 2.5 million participants have downloaded the NHS-endorsed app created by King’s College London and health science company ZOE.
But app designers want more over-70s and people with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma, to sign up as they are considered most at risk from Covid-19.
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and charities including Age UK, the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Diabetes UK will use their social media and networks to help promote the app.
Study leader Claire Steves, clinical senior lecturer at King’s College London, said they would help developers “capture more data from people who may be less able to use an app”.
Since the app was launched on March 24, the day after the nationwide lockdown was introduced, developers have found fewer older people logging in.
