At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, analog tools such as nasopharyngeal swabs for PCR tests were center stage and the major prevention tactics of masking and physical distancing were a throwback to the 1918 influenza pandemic. Overall, there has been scant regard for digital tools, particularly those based on smartphone apps, which is surprising given the ubiquity of smartphones across the globe. Smartphone apps, given accessibility in the time of physical distancing, were widely used for tracking, tracing and educating the public about COVID-19. Despite limitations, such as concerns around data privacy, data security, digital health illiteracy and structural inequities, there is ample evidence that apps are beneficial for understanding outbreak epidemiology, individual screening and contact tracing. While there were successes and failures in each category, outbreak epidemiology and individual screening were substantially enhanced by the reach of smartphone apps and accessory wearables. Continued use of apps within the digital infrastructure promises to provide an important tool for rigorous investigation of outcomes both in the ongoing outbreak and in future epidemics.

在 COVID-19 大流行开始时，用于 PCR 测试的鼻咽拭子等模拟工具是中心舞台，而戴口罩和保持身体距离的主要预防策略是 1918 年流感大流行的倒退。总体而言，人们很少关注数字工具，尤其是那些基于智能手机应用程序的工具，鉴于智能手机在全球无处不在，这令人惊讶。智能手机应用程序在保持身体距离时可访问，被广泛用于跟踪、追踪和教育公众有关 COVID-19 的知识。尽管存在限制，例如对数据隐私、数据安全、数字健康文盲和结构性不平等的担忧，但有充分证据表明，应用程序有助于了解疫情流行病学、个人筛查和接触者追踪。虽然每个类别都有成功和失败，但智能手机应用程序和可穿戴配件的普及大大增强了疫情流行病学和个人筛查。在数字基础设施中继续使用应用程序有望为对当前疫情和未来流行病的结果进行严格调查提供重要工具。