Kathmandu, June 22

A covira application with a method to measure the personal and local risks of COVID-19 was made public at a programme yesterday.

Nepal Engineers’ Association launched the application developed by Science Hub Nepal.

Users have to browse the website www.covira.info to access the assessment method.

Adopting this method, one can make risk assessment of his/ her own and family members in terms of COVID-19. It also allows users to see the state of COVID-19 risks in any geographical area in the country.

The association’s General Secretary Chhabi Pokharel said such research-based method would substantially help Nepal and Nepalis to deal with risks during the pandemic.

Likewise, Professor Padma Simkhada of the UK-based University of Huddersfield said the assessment method would be useful for the government, community and individual.

It is claimed to be the first-ever research-based application developed with the joint effort of subject experts and scientists incorporating scientific facts, methods and evidences.

On the occasion, Dr Rishiram Parajuli of Bristol University, UK, made a presentation on the preparation of bases of the application. The application can be used to assess own risks based on age, gender and state of chronic disease as well as risk of transmission of virus on the basis of routine activities.

Also, on the occasion, Dr Bhojraj Ghimire of Nepal Open University shared about amendment in terms of technology, data use, privacy and safety of the application.

Science Hub will gradually amend the application to enable it to collect crowd-sourcing data in multiple languages. Association Chair Triratna Bajracharya remotely launched the application through webinar.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 23, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.