Frequently asked questions
CoughWatchSA is a web application designed for monitoring respiratory illness in South Africa. Anyone in South Africa can take part. Participants are asked to report on a weeklybasis if they have any symptoms or not in order to identify possible new spreads of u (and other respiratory infections). For more information about CWSA, and what it involves, see the project
You will need a working email address in order to register which will serve as your username and a chosen password. If you have forgotten your password or username, you can request a new password through the web platform.
Yes. All data is completely anonymised upon submission, it will not be possible to link the information provided to any individual or household.
After being anonymised, data is stored in a secure data layer on our servers (Google Cloud) and only the study team will have access to your data in an anonymised manner
Two groups benefited from this information immediately. First, citizens like yourself, who gain access to valuable information about respiratory cases in your community. This information allows you to prepare and react quickly to risks in your community. Second, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, for the purpose of preparation, outbreak detection, and targeted response
Yes, please invite as many others as you can. More data means more powerful models and better outputs and results
Yes, only on behalf of your children if you are the parent or legal guardian. You will register using a valid email account and through your account, you can add other profiles which will be recognised as users linked to your account
No, please just resume answering the survey as soon as possible. The survey links are sent via email so you can complete these anywhere in the world
No, accounts are linked directly to an email. If you to change your email you would need to create a new account and unsubscribe from the current account.
All connections are secured using HTTPS. Only encrypted passwords are stored.
No, you cannot submit your responses offline, but the web platform is zero-rated which means you will not incur any mobile data expenses
Anyone over the age of 18 can participate today.
No, this platform is for measuring trends and potential problem areas across the population. If you think you have COVID-19 and need medical assistance, please call visit your nearest clinic or consult your doctor.
Yes, you will be able to update your postal code through the intake questionnaire.
ILI stands for influenza-like illness
Yes, the accuracy of the forecasting depends on having input from a wide range of people – in terms of age, gender, health, and location
Generally, Yes. We often don’t know exactly where we were infected, so if in doubt report what you have. Also, we’re trying to get people’s infection profiles over the whole season. However, when you are moving abroad, we would ask you to stop completing the survey.