Exclusively for the United States, Apple has released a COVID-19 app and website as screening tools and online resource centers to access verified information and guidelines for protection from coronavirus. The app and website are developed on the latest CDC guidelines, in collaboration with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
The screening process starts very easily via the app or website. After choosing who is the screening for, self or someone else, people will be directed to a ‘before you start’ page with a list of corona symptoms. If the person has any one of the listed symptoms, they are recommended to immediately call 911. The screening process proceeds on, if the person has none of the mentioned symptoms, and continues with a series of question like age, mild symptoms, existing health condition, travel history, exposure to COVID-19 person or area, and dwelling or work history in a care facility. An appropriate precautionary measure is recommended at the end. The suggested measures can be saved for comparison or to show to a health care worker.
Besides screening, people can choose the three options under the ‘Start Screening’ tab to access approved and recommended best practices from health authorities to contain the spread of coronavirus. These practices include social distancing, washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, monitoring symptoms and answers to concerning questions like who is at risk and when to get tested.
As per Apple’s privacy policy, the company ensures that users data will not be stored or shared with Apple or CDC without permission and it will be saved, encrypted and secured with a passcode on the users device.
With a surge of coronavirus cases in the country, access to medical care has become difficult. Therefore, these screening tools will help people in getting CDC approved recommendations after assessing their symptoms at home. In addition, people can also get accurate and updated information on the COVID-19 pandemic, to avoid panic and use of unverified treatments through fake information.
The COVID-19 app is available in the App Store for free only for the United States at the moment. However, people around the world can access Apple’s COVID-19 website to screen their symptoms. Apple is playing a constructive role during desperate times in USA and around the world. The recent figures in United States were 82,000 infected people, with the fear of further increase.
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