Contact tracing in LGUs now made possible through DOST's TanodCOVID

More than preparing emergency relief for their constituents, the Local Government Units (LGUs) play a crucial role in monitoring and disease surveillance of COVID-19 possible patients in their respective communities. LGUs can put in place contact tracing systems such as the TanodCOVID.

PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya emphasized the important role of LGUs in early detection and tracing of the disease. He stressed, “LGUs can help even more through the use of TanodCOVID.  This can build a knowledge base about your locality so that prevention, management and treatment on COVID19 can be improved.”By using TanodCOVID, people in the community will have means of reporting their symptoms to their local officials without the fear of discrimination.

When used by an LGU, TanodCOVID will help the local officials and the Department of Health (DoH) in contact tracing of possible and suspected COVID-19 cases and decide on areas where mass testing must be administered. Interested LGUs should send a letter of intent to the project team to avail this service.To use TanodCOVID, locals can send text messages to their LGU’s verified mobile number. Officials will then call concerned locals to verify the reports and ask for additional information which might help the DoH.

Specifically, the TanodCOVID will enable LGUs to access report summaries, visualization, mobile numbers and addresses of those who reported symptoms. (Specific steps of reporting are discussed below).Once TanodCOVID is adopted, Dr. Regina Estuar, Project Leader of TanodCOVID ensures interested LGUs of their continuous technical support.

She said, “We designed the system to empower locals in our strategies to prevent the spread of the infection. In turn, this will help our national agencies reduce the risk of virus transmission through strengthened contact tracing processes.

Our team will help you in using TanodCOVID. Ito ang tugon ng LGU laban sa COVID19.”DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Cristina Guevara said,  “The rapid development of research and technologies has been at the top of DOST’s priorities to fight this pandemic.

With   FASSSTER   in place to assist our   policymakers   create   evidence-based strategies, and TanodCOVID to  engage our locals in self-reporting of  symptoms for contacttracing, we are increasing our chances of saving more lives.”

Developed by Ateneo Center for Computing Competency and Research (ACCCRe) of Ateneode Manila University in collaboration with the University of the  Philippines Manila  - NationalTelehealth Center (UP-NTHC) and the Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau  and fundedby  the   Department  of   Science   and  Technology-Philippine   Council   for   Health  Research   andDevelopment   (DOST-PCHRD),

TanodCOVID   is   a   self-reporting  application   included   in   the FASSSTER  (Feasibility   Analysis   of   Syndromic   Surveillance   using   Spatio-TemporalEpidemiological Modeler)  a web-based  disease  surveillance platform  that  uses deterministic compartmental modeling.

Paano magreport ng sintomas sa TanodCOVID SMS Symptom Reporting System?
1. Mag-register sa serbisyo ng makapagreport ng nararamdamang sintomas at mabigyang atensyon ng inyong LGU.
2. I-report kung alin man sa mga sintomas na ito kasama ng tirahan:
a. Ubo Lagnat Hirap sa paghingad. Nagtatae
Halimbawa ng text: REP J.P. Rizal, Nangka, Marikina, A, B, C, D3. Free of charge ang mga mensahe at ang reply sa serbisyo. Kung mag-iba ang sintomas,o kung makatanggap ng reply, mag-text lamang muli.

Para magamit ang serbisyong ito, ang LGUs ay kinakailangang mag-email ng Letter of Intent sa fassster.covid@gmail.com.