Emalahleni resident Kenneth Mkhonto has invented an app which may help curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country by detecting unusual spikes in body temperatures.

The inventor's newly released app called Zihlole, which translates to "test yourself" in Nguni languages, seeks to help people screen themselves in the comfort of their homes and pick spikes in their body temperature earlier and with ease.

The app stores temperature averages and can alert organisations using it in cases that one of their members could be showing signs of Covid-19.

"Zihlole stores the latest Covid-19 screening information of employees, learners, students and even congregations mainly through temperature recordings, it monitors a person's averages and changes. Should there be drastic changes of an individual's temperature, it then alerts the institution in which the particular individual is heading," said Mkhonto.

He said any organisation using the app can be able to act quicker in cases where there's unusual spikes in one's temperature for example. Mkhonto said the Covid-19 pandemic and its lockdown sparked the idea.

"During the lock down level 5 period, I was screened by healthcare workers during the door-to-door screening process, then I asked myself a question whether there was a simpler way we could get the entire nation screened, and that's how Zihlole came about."

Siboniso Nkosi, a board member at Lift Jesus Higher Ministries, said that they heard about the Zihlole app through a church member who recommended that the church try it out since church gatherings were now allowed during the Covid-19 lockdown alert level 3.

"As we wanted to resume our church services, we needed a plan to gather basic information for people who wanted to attend our services.

"We started using the app on the 23th of June and I can definitely recommend the tool to other churches and other institutions that accommodate more than 50 people, like school and retail stores, to try and reduce the spread of Covid-19," said Nkosi, adding that his church found the app convenient.

"It is easy to download and it's free of charge but most of all it is user friendly," he said.