Facedrive Health’s TraceSCAN revolutionizing contact tracing industry

The latest in contact tracing technology is here, and it has come in the form of Facedrive Health’s TraceSCAN

Partnering with the University of Waterloo, Facedrive Health put together this device within a couple of months following the release of Apple and Google’s exposure notification systems for contact tracing, making a point to pivot towards privacy preserving wearable devices that do not require a smartphone.

The idea of contact tracing without compromising privacy or having any personal information shared was paramount in TraceSCAN’s fabrication, just as much as its simplicity, safety and cost efficiency were.

Last month, the Ontario government announced they were investing $2.5 million into TraceSCAN devices — the production of which will manufacture several new jobs in the province — with funding coming via the Ontario Together Fund, which was created to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe by aiding businesses in providing innovative solutions or retooling their operations in order to create essential medical supplies and equipment.

Here are the answers to a few key questions one may have about this revolutionary device.

What is it?

TraceSCAN is a comprehensive and customizable contact tracing solution that aims to halt the spread of COVID-19 by alerting users who have been in close contact with individuals that have tested positive for the disease.

The goal is to provide a secure method to detect the spread of the novel coronavirus, thereby offering a level of protection and reassurance to communities as the economy gradually reopens.

How can it help fight COVID-19

By making use of unique wearable Bluetooth devices imbued with AI technology, TraceSCAN can quickly and accurately lead to the identification, isolation and testing of new COVID-19 cases when time is of the essence. It can also identify more contacts than traditional contact tracing alone by proximity tracing an exposure notification.

The solution, which will provide alerts for isolation and/or self-quarantine as well as self-monitoring recommendations — it will also vibrate if wearers are less than six feet away from someone else — allows users to prevent future breakouts by stopping them at the time of notification. Additionally, this notification system can be a completely customized solution to meet a business's needs. This allows a company/corporation to trace back interactions and minimize any extra steps required to stop contamination.

This will be particularly beneficial for companies, industries and corporations in their efforts to avoid temporary business closure due to widespread infection. Not only does the device ensure safety within a workforce, but it also restores customer comfort and trust when it comes to entering the business.

On top of all that, of course, is the assurance of a safe and smooth day-to-day operation due to the accessibility and affordability of the product.

Who is it for?

TraceSCAN wearables are an ideal solution for those who work or spend time in facilities where the option of making use of a smartphone — which allows access to the country’s COVID Alert app — is limited due to restrictions, accessibility issues, or socio-economic reasons. This includes essential workers, businesses, long-term care/retirement homes, schools, and more.

While contact tracing has proven to be effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, the speed with which cases are rising is putting a strain on public health resources as-is. The present process, which is entirely manual, requires extensive human resources, is not scalable, and is severely vulnerable to the recall bias of positive patients. Additionally, other forms of automated contact tracing can be very expensive.

Even more alarming is that asymptomatic individuals can spread the virus to many others if not identified in a timely manner, resulting in dire consequences for the workplace. Enforcing social distancing regulations to try and mitigate spread, too, is a difficult task when it comes to larger facilities that contain a substantial workplace population, such as schools.

All of these issues are tackled by TraceSCAN wearables, allowing for a safe and comfortable return to work even in places where smartphone usage is not possible.

How will it be useful post-COVID?

Once we have reached a world that is no longer ravaged by the novel coronavirus, the wearable devices can be repurposed for a number of objectives, including tracking other infectious diseases or accelerating an organization’s digital transformation efforts by doing things such as securing access to facilities, linking to existing services, time tracking, delivering attendance notifications, acting as an immunization passport, and remotely monitoring health metrics.