With the help of US health agencies, the company offers a new website and app to help people learn about the COVID-19 pandemic
With the pandemic of COVID-19 still far from showing signs that it is finally being controlled worldwide – and with the prospect of a vaccine against the disease being developed only in the middle of 2021 – strategies such as isolation and social distance are the only solutions available for the time being to combat the proliferation of the disease, but technology companies are also trying to do their part in this fight.
And the last company to enter this battle Apple, which announced last Friday (27) a new screening tool to help people prevent themselves during the pandemic.
Developed in conjunction with the United States' Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC), the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Apple has released a new website and an application specially designed to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by the population.
How does this app work on COVID-19?
Apple application centralizes all necessary information about COVID-19Available free of charge at App Store, the new application from Apple it was inspired by those used by the Chinese government during the start of the pandemic in the Asian country, and who played a key role in helping the government of the country manage to contain the cases.
Both the app and the page (designed for those who don't have a iPhone or iPad) when accessed, they present a questionnaire of several questions that must be answered truthfully by the user, asking if the person has any condition that puts him in the risk group of the new virus or if he had recent contact with someone diagnosed with the disease .
Based on this information, an initial screening result is then offered, indicating what the CDC's recommendations are for each specific case (for example, staying at home in self-isolation or then looking for a medical center), in addition to tips on how to maintain isolation and the correct way to monitor possible symptoms of the disease.
In addition, the app also functions as an information center on the status of the pandemic in the United States, providing a FAQ with answers to the most common questions from citizens, and updated CDC guides on how to wash hands, sanitize surfaces in the home and monitor possible symptoms to ensure that everyone is protected from the virus.
Along with the new website and app, Apple is also updating its database Crab, and the assistant is able to answer any questions about the pandemic with the most up-to-date data from the CDC.
Still, Apple recalls that all of these tools are only guides to help users with their debts, and at no time can they be considered as medical diagnoses. In addition, the company also recalls that the tips of this tool are not substitutes for the rules created by health plans or by governments at the local, state and federal level, and that these should always be the priority of people concerned with the disease.
Both the COVID-19 website and the Apple app were developed for the United States only, based on country-specific data and based on current security rules developed by the country's responsible health agencies, and therefore may not be the most suitable guides for people who reside or are currently in other regions.
Source: Apple
