Events and Risk
The TogetherePods App (the “App”) is designed to encourage people to get together and to provide a way to reduce the risk of any Event organized with the App. The App is based on the idea that risk can be influenced by individual and group behavior. Virtually every public health leader and commentator has observed that “we are all in this together” and that behaviors determine our safety and the safety of others.
Explanation of Event Info, Event Rules and Commitments in the App
Event Info
A user wishing to host an Event uses the TogetherePods App to invite Invitees to a particular event. Event info includes basic information typical of any event invite, eg. time, date, location, but also includes info related to risk of infection such as whether the event is indoor or outdoor or if indoor, density of people expected to attend.
Event Rules
The TogetherePods App allows event hosts to establish rules for an event. The rules may be customized by the host. The App starts by offering three levels of event rules, which are phrased as Strict, Balanced or Relaxed. The Strict rules are the most cautious and the Relaxed rules are the least strict. The choice made by the host contributes to the assessment of Event Risk.
Pre-Event Commitments
The TogetherePods App allows the event host to propose behaviors which participants must commit to in order to attend the event. These commitments are recorded and the App queries the Invitee before the event to ascertain whether the Invitee has honored their commitments. The Commitments are also presented at three levels, from Limited to Comprehensive. Even the Limited Commitments, which are based on CDC guidelines that are widely understood, are designed to minimize risk.
Sources
For more information on how to meet or hold events safely, please refer to the following sources from public health authorities that were used in developing our event system:
Explanation of Risk Visualizations
The TogetherePods App evaluates several factors and generates risk visualizations that show an easy to understand view of the risk presented. Sources for the two types of risk visualizations are as follows:
Sources for Risk to Others
The App generates a risk visualization for a person’s risk to others based on a number of parameters collected from surveys and other inputs, such as where you live, and the information you provide in the personal survey. For example, if you live in an area that currently has a high incidence of Covid-19 and you spend most of your day out of the house around others, your risk level will appear higher than someone who lives in an area with low incidence and stays home all day.
Sources for Event Risk
The App generates a visualization for the risk of an event by considering where the event is held, practices at the event, and who is attending the event. The event risk is based on the event commitments and rules chosen, the number of people attending, and the risk to others of the attendees. For example, an event with strict rules and comprehensive pre-event commitments may have lower risk. Such an event may show a higher relative risk if a large number of people are attending, or if those people engage in risky behavior or attend other higher-risk events.
For detailed information on the factors used to assess these risks, and the basis for using those inputs, please click here.