5Lab provides verified and up-to-date news and data

The rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country inspired Bangkok-based software company 5Lab to create Covidtracker, a location-based site that provides up-to-date information on the virus infections in Thailand.

In a time when the dissemination of rumors and fake news have become rampant on the Internet, Covidtracker’s goal is to provide verified news, and to inform the public which places are safe and which ones should be avoided to help slow down the infection rate. The site unexpectedly went viral within a few hours of launching. There have been two million visitors since the first day, with 50,000 active users per minute.

Without breaching any privacy laws, the website details where each infected case is from the places the patient visited prior to testing positive. It also provides information on which places have been sterilized and the hospitals that offer free COVID-19 testing and check-ups under the government’s terms and conditions for testing. Each piece of information is backed up by a viable source, which includes official announcements from the Department of Disease Control as well as news from credible Thai publishers.

5Lab also checks with the Anti-Fake News Center of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society before they put anything on their site. “The goal is to be convenient, easy to understand, and provide only information that people need to know,” explains Phenphat “Praew” Charoenpanich, the product designer and project manager of 5Lab.

Moving forward, 5lab wants to create a platform that provides information on which hospitals have enough beds and the number of patients each one can accommodate. “So, if we get sick, we know where to go.”

5lab has also collaborated with six famous Thai artists—Gongkan, Suntur, Yoon (Phannapast), Nutdao, ReenP, and Aitoy—and LINE Thailand to create stickers that illustrate what to do and how to behave during this COVID-19 situation. All proceeds will go to Ramathibodi Foundation to buy respirators and medical equipment that can help medical workers treat patients in a more safe and efficient way.