With so many fake news and misinformation being spread on the internet and social media platforms regarding the pandemic, everyone is living under the fear are they by any chance infected by the deadly disease. If you want to know whether you have COVID-19, you can now turn to Apple’s voice assistant, Siri.
In a recent update to Siri, Apple is now providing iPhone users in the U.S. with a step-by-step questionnaire to help them identify coronavirus symptoms, according to CNBC. So, how does it work? For instance, if you ask Siri, “Hey Siri, do I have the coronavirus?” It will answer “if you are worried about the new coronavirus, here are some yes or no questions to help you determine your situation.” According to Apple, the answers that Siri gives to every question come from the U.S. Public Health Service, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, one can rest assured that the information given is quite reliable. As explained by CNBC: Siri will ask users if they’re exhibiting symptoms of the disease, such as fever, dry cough or shortness of breath. Siri will advise people who say they have extreme or life-threatening symptoms to consider calling 911. If users say their symptoms are not extreme or life-threatening, Siri instructs people to stay home and avoid contact with other people. It advises them to contact a medical provider if their condition becomes more severe. It also providers users with a link in the App Store, where they can download telehealth apps and potentially receive virtual consultation.
This is what voice assistants should be for. — Alexis Córdova (@acordova) March 21, 2020 Currently, the feature is available only in the U.S., and it’s still unclear if it will expand internationally. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with Facebook-owned WhatsApp launched a coronavirus pandemic-focused chatbot called the WHO Health Alert. This free service has been designed to answer questions from the public about Coronavirus, and to give prompt, reliable and official information 24 hours a day, worldwide.
