Head of NHS Covid-19 App, Gaby Appleton, Speaks to Pupils

She began by explaining what the app set out to do and the various functions incorporated within it, going on to explain exactly how the app works and what adaptations the team had to make to existing technology to achieve the tracking functions, with testers even sitting on buses with various phones to check the functionality of tracking from different devices.

Gaby also explained how, in the absence of randomised control trials, the team managed to work out how successful the app was, among other things by comparing areas in similar phases of the epidemic that had a higher uptake of the app with areas that had a lower uptake.  Results showed that eight million cases of covid were averted thanks to the app.

Pupils were keen to ask Gaby plenty of probing and insightful questions at the end. Ben Jones, Head of Science at Alleyn’s congratulated Gaby and remarked that we would be talking about the app for many years to come.