Think you have symptoms of COVID-19? You might not even need to leave your home to find out.
Apple can now help you determine whether you should request a coronavirus test.
The tech giant teamed up with the Center for Disease Control Prevention to launch a new app and website. It includes a screening tool that helps users decide what to do if they’re feeling sick and not sure whether it’s coronavirus.
You don’t need an Apple account to use the new tools. Once you enter the site, it merely asks a series of questions, including information about your symptoms, whether you’ve traveled recently, and your potential exposure to people with COVID-19.
Then a recommendation is made on what to do next, such as whether you need to self-isolate yourself from the public. Information about the virus and who should be tested is also provided.
“Along with the new COVID-19 app and website, customers across the US may also ask Siri, ‘How do I know if I have coronavirus?’ to access guidance and resources from the CDC and a curated collection of telehealth apps available on the App Store,” the company said in an announcement.
So, go ahead and start screening. No personal information, such as your name or email address, is required.
Additionally, Apple more than doubled its donation to China’s efforts to fight COVID-19 to over 50 million yuan ($7 million).
Google – Helping Teachers and Students #LearnAtHome
Many other tech giants are also taking helpful initiatives.
Since most schools switched to remote learning, Google via YouTube recently launched a new resources page to help educate students while they’re home from school.
“Teach from Home” was created as many educational institutions around the globe are undergoing, extending, or planning closures (some say until September.) Teachers need to adapt to a new reality where video calls with the class, and live stream lessons are the new norm.
This site allows teachers to create online quizzes, class websites, virtual whiteboards and gives them the ability to provide real-time feedback in Docs.
A+ for Google’s contribution to the board of education.
Also, you probably stumbled upon Google’s coronavirus website in the past few weeks, alongside enhanced search results. You can easily find information tabs on safety and prevention tips, symptoms, global statics, and locally relevant information.
Google will continue providing more enhanced information cards for people who search for terms related to COVID-19.
Still have questions? Google it.
Other Major Tech Giants
Microsoft also partnered with the CDC to create a chatbot. Users fill in a questionnaire related to the coronavirus in order to find out whether they should quest for a test.
According to the Verge, the bot appears to be a possible way to reassure the “worried well” that their symptoms likely don’t require medical attention. Therefore, patients who are critically ill with coronavirus will gain easier access to doctors and emergency rooms.
Amazon’s Alexa is also ready to answer any questions you may have about the pandemic or the symptoms you’re feeling.
It is important to note that none of these new technologies are meant to diagnose or provide you with personal medical plans, but acquiring information from trusted sources is exceptionally crucial right now.