Nowadays, it has become a part of our daily routine to wear a face mask and face shield, have our disinfectant spray ready, and practice our roles as聽responsible citizens of our community by filling out the necessary contact tracing forms before we are allowed to enter any building or establishment.
This is the snapshot of our new normal as a consequence of the pandemic that has changed our lives. It has been a year, and yet, the world is still battling COVID-19.
Since COVID-19 is a new virus that has been classified as a pandemic, the human population has no immunity against it, and vaccination is apparently, the only hope to decrease its deadly effect.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control implemented the Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention (NPI) against COVID-19. NPI is a public measure that aims to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NPIs are among the best public health interventions against the pandemic consisting of three main categories: (1) individual, (2) environmental, (3) population related with widespread, timely testing and contact tracing.聽
Contact Tracing is one of the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions used to battle against the COVID-19. One form of this requires all establishments to ask people to fill out several contact tracing forms or scan QR codes before entering their establishment.
Now, are we not all tired of writing the same details all over again each time we enter a building or a business establishment? Are we not tired of using different applications for contact tracing whenever a certain establishment requires us to scan its contact tracing QR codes? Well, this is where Project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. comes in!
Project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. is an acronym for 鈥淏uildings and Establishments Automated Temperature Reading Integrated Contact Tracing Equipment.” Itis both a hardware and software system designed to increase the efficiency of contact tracing in buildings and establishments. This is a dedicated, full contactless contact tracing equipment wherein the user will have a one-time registration to acquire a QR code I.D, and all that he has to do is bring his I.D anywhere.
For as long as Project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. is there, one just taps the given I.D., scans temperature, disinfects, and the user is good to go! Being contactless will also provide more safety to establishment front-liners such as the guards and door attendants.
The project was developed by EEnovatics, a startup under the Department of Science and Technology TOMASInno Center (DOST-TOMASInno Center UST). EEnovatics, with its tagline 鈥淲e create and integrate鈥�, is composed of two Electrical Engineering graduates from the University of Santo Tomas, Engr. Souichi A. Takahama, who graduated in 2018 and Ms. Andrea Pauline D. De Guzman, who graduated in 2020. Their mission is 鈥渢o provide technological innovation to issues faced by the world through research and development, with a vision of continuously innovating and creating solutions for a better world.鈥�
EEnovatics developed project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. as a way to address particular issues that are encountered in the existing contact tracing efforts. Some of these issues include incomplete contact tracing forms, no centralized contact tracing solutions, a long queue in every entrance, and the unavailability of smartphones and/or access to the internet of some citizens. With project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. EEnovatics aims to provide a permanent solution as a preparation for any future pandemic.
The EEnovatics team conducted its pilot testing on December 18, 2020, at a Restaurant named D鈥橞anquet in Tagaytay City. The team was able to deploy and test its prototype and continuously improve on the project鈥檚 system. The goal is to deploy Project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E. in different establishments in Tagaytay City and eventually, in the whole country to centralize the contact tracing initiative, with the collective efforts and collaboration of business owners and citizens in our country
Currently, EEnovatics is looking for investors to help their startup business grow. Intending to make entrances safer, Project B.E.A.T.R.I.C.E is a ripple that will soon start a wave once everyone realizes the importance, convenience and benefits this project can offer.
