COVID Nearby is a secure and privacy-protecting data platform to identify and track the spread of COVID-19. People can anonymously and securely report their location and health symptoms, and use the interactive map 一 which guarantees differential privacy 一 to see the spread of COVID-19 in their communities.

Why should you use it?

COVID Nearby empowers you to generate information that is crucial to fight COVID-19. Even a few thousand responses can help track the spread. Your participation is vital to win this fight.

Why this effort?

COVID Nearby is the only platform that provides differential privacy 一 a strong mathematical guarantee regarding your privacy. So when the insights about the pandemic are released, your privacy is protected.

Who built it?

COVID Nearby was built by the Rutgers Institute of Data Science, Learning, and Applications with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH).

The team includes scientists from the Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers Business School, and the Rutgers School of Communication and Information. The team’s expertise is in epidemiology, behavioral analysis, and data privacy.