Apple on Friday launched a website and app for people to check off symptoms and circumstances and get next steps from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding coronavirus.
The tool, which is both a website and an app, asks users a series of questions about symptoms they may be experiencing, whether they have traveled recently, and other risk factors before giving them guidance on the next steps.
Apple said the app was developed in a partnership with the CDC, White House Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- The Daily Dot is committed to filtering the noise every day as COVID-19 seizes the internet’s attention worldwide. We bring you stories on everything related to the viral pandemic, from the state response to social media fallout, and all the technical flubs, emerging social trends, and disinformation in between. READ MORE ->
The screening tool asks the user to answer a number of things including: the user’s age; if they are experiencing symptoms like a fever, a new or worsening cough, aches, vomiting, and difficulty breathing, among other things; if they have preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes, kidney failure, and others; if they have traveled internationally in the last 14 days; if they live in an area where coronavirus is widespread; if they’ve been in contact with someone with coronavirus over the past two weeks; and if they work or live in a care facility.
It also starts by listing symptoms that they recommend calling 911 if the user is experiencing.
People can use the screening tool for themselves or someone else. The suggestions include social distancing, self-isolating, calling 911, or contacting a healthcare provider.
Apple said in a press release the app does not require log-ins or association with an Apple ID and the responses are not sent to the company or the government.
The CDC also has a “self-checker” people can take online.
The app and website from Apple comes after President Donald Trump pledged earlier this month that Google would build a site for people to see where testing sites were nearby. That wasn’t true at the time, but the company did eventually launch a site.
Throughout the epidemic, Trump has repeatedly relied on private companies to step up and partner with the government.
READ MORE:
