In the absence of widely available Covid-19 testing, region-wide KC metro efforts are underway to encourage self-reporting of symptoms and coordinate medical volunteer follow up with symptomatic patients. Besides the potential direct benefit to these patients, the data collected may help us better manage our regional resources as we coordinate response to the disease.

 

Wyandotte County has taken the lead in standing up a self-reporting tool (modeled on this one from a county in CO). Johnson County is setting up a similar form with a slightly different use case. Open Cities is a software platform with North American headquarters in Kansas City supporting the data collection technology. KC Digital Drive has been working to coordinate with other local governments, health organizations, and media outlets to create a shared approach to data collection, coordinated use of data, and public outreach to expand texting.

 

We are also supporting regional collaboration around use of the Private Kit: Safe Paths contact tracing tool out of MIT, powered by the local tech company Triple Blind. Learn more about our digital contact tracing project here. Feel free to reach out about any of these or related initiatives at covid19@kcdigitaldrive.org.