Pilot use of a novel smartphone application to track traveller health behaviour and collect infectious disease data during a mass gathering: Hajj pilgrimage 2014

Pilot use of a novel smartphone application to track traveller health behaviour and collect infectious disease data during a mass gathering: Hajj pilgrimage 2014

Blog Article

This study examines the feasibility of using a smartphone application (app) to conduct surveys among travellers during the Hajj pilgrimage, where the use of apps has not been evaluated for infectious disease surveillance.A longitudinal study was conducted among pilgrims at the Hajj 2014 using an iPhone app with separate questionnaires for three study phases covering before, during, and after Hajj.Forty-eight pilgrims from 13 countries downloaded the app.

Respondents were aged between 21 and 61 (median ultrastar dc hc550 36) years and 58.5% (24/41) were male.Of these, 85% (41/48) completed the first phase, 52% (25/41) completed both the second and third phases, and 25 of these reported meningococcal vaccination, with 36% (9/25) receiving other vaccines.

All (25) reported hand hygiene use and 64% hiboost 4k smart link (16/25) wore a facemask at some point during the pilgrimage.Four (6%) reported close contact with camels.Respiratory symptoms commenced from the 4th day of Hajj, with sore throat (20%) and cough (12%) being the most common.

Three participants (12%) reported respiratory symptoms after returning home.Conducting a prospective survey using a smartphone app to collect data on travel-associated infections and traveller compliance to prevention is feasible at mass gatherings and can provide useful data associated with health-related behaviour.