Certainly this

What are the ACTUAL problems we are trying to solve here? [N.B. These may not be the same as what you're being told...]

And on which of these problems will any particular approach have any effect *in reality*, not just in theory? Plus what are the trade-offs? https://twitter.com/guy_herbert/status/1248158105231335430

Top line: we get through to availability of a #vaccine (12-18 months) at which point #MassVaccination (60%+) gets us #HerdImmunity. #COVID19 becomes the ' #FifthFlu', *people still die of it*, but we clean up the mess and carry on in the ' #NewNormal' - with a shit-ton of #PTSD...

So where do ' #apps' get us?

The #surveys (so long as they're properly designed, run well by the right people under ethics approval & they ask the right questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XjKrimQHjnATctZIiuqdaqfc0daiq6tlcFddSupPg60/) MAY allow us to do some #science, but plenty of 'em are little more than scams/datagrabs...

The #ContactTracing apps are the second wave. The premise of them is that they can act as some sort of 'virtual #HerdImmunity' - assuming perfect, instantaneous transmission of isolation advice via smartphone using various means of inferring infection (mostly time + proximity)...

..there are LOTS of dependencies for #ContactTracing apps to have even minimal effect - some of which we won't even know until after they're in use! Which is why all the sensible people are saying use temporary random IDs, put the logic on the phone asap, etc. Are #TracingApps...

..a "cure"? Clearly not. Much help? Probably not, unless linked to mass #antigen testing (i.e. to check someone actually has the virus in their body). #OOPS!

So why do it? Because (a) Gov't has to be seen to do s'thing, (b) some like shiny things, (c) "It's the economy, stupid."