The Covid - 19 pandemic situation has led to various uncertainties in the world - economic and medical. Coronavirus has taken many people's lives, created a financial crisis in most of the families, and a complete economic slowdown in the country.
 

As the nature of transmission is uncontrollable, the government officials had imposed restrictions to curtail the spread. The number of people getting affected is reduced. However, the spread did not stop.
 

To better address the situation and get control, the Government of India realized the importance of contact tracing. Thus, the National Informatics Centre of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology introduced the Arogya Setu App. It received wider acceptance in a short span of time.
 

What is the Arogya Setu Online App?
 

Arogya Setu App is a software application that aims at monitoring and tracking the health of Indian citizens. It is designed to be compatible with the Android and iOS platforms. The Arogya Setu App is available for download online -. 
 

How does it work?
 

As the individuals download and install the App, they provide basic information about their health. The information collected from different individuals throughout the country is collated and stored in a database. Based on this database, the people are intimated with timely alerts of the coronavirus victims. The same information is available for the government officials to track the movement and virus concentration as well.
 

Very high-risk individuals are alerted to the primary health officials for further testing and treatment. The tracing is done based on cross-referencing this larger database. The movement of an affected individual is tracked for inter-district or interstate travel for monitoring the spread of the virus. The Arogya Setu App warns you if you are in a high-risk zone. 
 

Suppose you travel to a place and if there is an individual with coronavirus symptoms next to you in six feet distance, the Bluetooth sensors from the two smartphones will interact and intimate you with the potential risk for you to take the necessary step.  
 

The Arogya Setu App continuously provides updates and the latest news on the coronavirus spread. It keeps intimating the users on the safety measures such as sanitizing, social distancing, staying home and wearing masks. The provision for Arogya Setu vaccine registration has been recently developed and ensured for easy accessibility. 
 

The application is not compulsory for everyone to download and install on their respective smartphones. However, it is mandated to have the application in place for effective management in specific travel scenarios. For example, air travel to high-risk cities.  
 

How to register with the Arogya Setu App?
 

When you download the application, it requests permission to access Bluetooth and the location settings on your smartphone. The Bluetooth acts as the sensor and provides proximity details. The App will alert you if you are in the range close to an infected person. The location access will let you know if you are present in a region where there are individuals who tested positive. Also, to put contact tracing in practice, the location access will help trace and map the regions visited by Covid positive individuals. 
 

As a first step in the Arogya Setu registration, you have to provide your mobile number. Further, you need to provide basic information such as name, age, gender, health condition, nature of employment if you are a health worker, police, pharmacist, etc., Also, you need to specify if you travelled to any place in the recent past, with the travel details.  
 

Once the basic details are provided, the application will intimate you to take a self-assessment test for your health status. The questions will try to figure out if you have any symptoms associated with coronavirus inhibition. Also, it will ask you if you have interacted with any infected individuals. If you are a health worker or a policeman, the App will ask if you were exposed to any infected person in the recent past. You have to declare yourself with this information to benefit from the Arogya Setu App.
 

Based on the results of your self-assessment, the risk level of your region is analysed and displayed. Green denotes a safer zone, orange denotes a moderately risky zone, and red denotes the highest risk zone. If you fall in the highest risk zone and feeling unwell, you can contact the healthcare officials for further attention and treatment.
 

Is Life Insurance or Health Insurance More Important After the Pandemic?
 

Given the impact of the pandemic, it is important to have both life insurance and health insurance. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a comprehensive health insurance plan, which can provide financial support in case of hospitalisation due to COVID-19 or any other health issues.
 

However, health insurance mainly covers the hospitalisation costs and post-hospitalisation care in the event of a health emergency. In contrast, life insurance aims to secure your family’s financial future. Therefore, in the event that you suffer from COVID-19 and you have health insurance, the treatment and hospitalisation costs can be covered by your policy, depending on the amount of coverage it provides.
 

When it comes to life insurance, term plans from Tata AIA Life Insurance come with a COVID-19 cover, that ensures financial security for your beneficiaries in the event of your death due to COVID-19. Moreover, you can also add other optional health riders^# to your life insurance policy to secure yourself and your family from specific health risks and unforeseen events not covered by your base policy.
 

The Growing Importance of Life Insurance During COVID-19 Pandemic
 

One of the key issues that the pandemic highlighted is the importance of life insurance. With the pandemic affecting millions of people and causing loss of life, it has made individuals realise the importance of having a financial safety net in case of any unfortunate event, such as the loss of a family member.
 

The pandemic brought about health risks, and the threat of losing a family member became a devastating reality for many people. The pandemic has underscored the importance of life insurance, especially for those who have underlying health conditions or are at risk of contracting the virus. Having life insurance in place can provide peace of mind, knowing that your family will be taken care of in case of your untimely death.
 

Life insurance is a crucial part of financial planning, and it provides financial security to your loved ones in case of your unfortunate demise. It provides a lump sum payout to your family, which can be used to cover expenses such as mortgages, education, and other living expenses. With the pandemic affecting people's income and causing financial strain, life insurance can act as a critical financial safety net for your family in case of your demise.
 

With a life insurance policy, you can provide a sense of security to your family during these uncertain times, knowing that their future is secure.
 

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people realise the importance of life insurance more than ever before. It has highlighted the need for financial planning and preparedness, especially in times of crisis. With the growing need for life insurance, it is essential to understand your options and choose the right policy to ensure that your loved ones are financially secure in case of any unfortunate event.
 

Things to keep in mind
 

The reliability of the software and users' privacy have been debated over the Arogya Setu App in the recent past. The Centre has ascertained that it is a secure App for consistent usage. However, to ensure safety, while at home, you can turn off your Bluetooth settings and switch them on while you are getting back to work outside. 

 

Conclusion

The Arogya Setu App has influenced the life of many people to become self-vigilant. It has helped the healthcare workers and government officials track affected individuals' movement, yet the resolution did not reach the desired standards. It will definitely take time for the situation to stabilize. 
 

However, the Covid pandemic era establishes the importance of having a term plan. If you are the sole earning member in the family, your sudden demise can bring a huge financial crisis to your loved ones. It becomes difficult to manage daily expenses, utilities, and debt repayment.
 

A basic TATA AIA Life Insurance term plan will ensure a sum assured to the nominee in case you meet with an unexpected demise. As a moral responsibility, ensure to purchase term insurance early in life to protect your family's financial status with more sum assured at an affordable premium. 

 

L&C/Advt/2023/Feb/0697