Fighting Pandemic: The Mobile Application Way (a Case of the Aarogya Setu App)

Abstract

The world of the COVID-19 pandemic is an anomalous biosphere with nothing to be forecasted. The main concern of every individual is focused on keeping themselves safe from infection. This need of keeping oneself safe has raised an alarming situation and resulted into quasi self-quarantines and self-imposed seclusion. The pandemic has increasingly put pressure on the healthcare system of different countries, wherein the countries with the limited number of doctors and health staff are finding it increasingly difficult for all intent and purposes to treat the patients. To lay off the load of medical staff all around the world, different countries have adopted their own unique technique of handling the calamity. One of the creations is applications on smartphones. This has resulted in increasing awareness, self-detection of coronavirus symptoms among the population. These applications were designed to increase awareness among individuals of any risk in their surroundings. It has been developed by corporates, governments and NGOs. The Indian government also launched its own indigenous app named Aarogya Setu (Bridge of Health) to capacitate people to handle and self-detect coronavirus symptoms. The present case is an effort to understand the adoption of Aarogya Setu app from the eye of diffusion of innovation. Case Objective Objectives of the case are to make readers aware about the coronavirus-related applications launched during pandemic, criteria for diffusion of innovation and the concepts of adoption.