HAZM: A Smart and Effective Quarantine Solution

The high-tech wristband would help contain the spread of COVID-19

Considerable efforts have been spent in Qatar and worldwide to fight against the pandemic spread of COVID-19 and its related direct and indirect consequences, with the safety of human life being the foremost priority. One way to help reduce the rapid spread of the virus is implementing an efficient mechanism to isolate those infected.

An efficient quarantine mechanism is also necessary because, as the number of infected people rises, the existing burden on healthcare facilities increases, along with associated costs, while logistical complexities also quickly escalate and may become unaffordable.

To overcome the above challenges, Dr. Hamid Menouar, Senior Research and Development Expert and Product Manager at Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC), and his team have developed the HAZM solution under a research project funded through Qatar National Research Fund’s Rapid Response Call (RRC).

An innovative solution, HAZM implements a cost-effective, yet efficient and reliable quarantine enforcement system. In fact, this solution makes home quarantine – known to be the most cost-effective method – able to be firmly implemented and enforceable. Moreover, it is more convenient than technologies that rely on costly standalone GPS-enabled bracelets.

The HAZM solution, offered as an end-to-end version, consists of three main parts:

(1) A secured wrist bracelet

(2) iOS and Android mobile applications

(3) A secured backend and admin portal

The bracelet acts as a link between the user and their phone, ensuring that the tracking of the user’s phone equates to tracking the user themselves and identifying their location at all times.

Apart from its end-to-end version, the HAZM bracelet can also be used on its own as a standalone add-on feature. It can be added and interfaced with any mobile application for anyone needing a reliable system of tracking people and assets.

For instance, the bracelet alone could be added to the EHTERAZ application in Qatar, to equip it with a solid and reliable tracking feature. Such a feature is necessary to let the app efficiently monitor the quarantined individual, making sure they do not break the rules and stay at their designated quarantine location.

The HAZM solution is currently being piloted by a strategic national partner in Qatar, who has shown a strong interest in the HAZM technology, its benefits, and its flexibility of use from an early stage of the solution development process. This strategic collaboration has high potential to result in the official adoption of the HAZM solution, both inside and outside Qatar.