To ease the anxiety surrounding COVID-19, the CDC and Microsoft are partnering together for the launch of a coronavirus self-checker chatbot.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Microsoft have created a self-checker for those who fear they may have COVID-19. The bot (short for „robot”) is an automated chat assistant who asks questions to see if you have symptoms resembling the virus. The chatbot guides those who are displaying physical symptoms. Those who have anxiety but have no symptoms will find the chatbot could relieve their fears about the worst.
According to the CDC, „The purpose of the Coronavirus Self-Checker is to help you make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care. This system is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other conditions, including COVID-19. This system is intended only for people who are currently located in the United States.”
There are times when people fear the worst. Anxiety levels can often confuse people and make them think they are sick when they’re not. Anxiety can contribute to the rise in blood pressure. Rising blood pressure can lead to short breathing. One symptom of coronavirus is breathing difficulty, but this symptom could be anxiety rather than the disease itself. Someone experiencing breathing difficulty could easily assume they’re sick with coronavirus. A simple chat with the chatbot could ease their fear and reduce their heavy breathing.
The new self-checker cannot replace the medical advice of a doctor. The CDC is clear about that. It reduces their fear or anxiety over coronavirus. No one wants to get sick. Few persons are medical experts that can diagnose their conditions. The chatbot can’t provide medical advice, but it may provide some small comfort.
Self-Checker is a relief, not a solution
The new self-checker prepares people by helping them relax. And yet, once they relax, they must consider whether or not they have coronavirus or not. If they don’t have coronavirus, then they must continue to relieve their anxiety levels.
If they do have coronavirus, then they must seek medical advice. Google’s new COVID-19 warning in Maps advises users to call a doctor before making a hospital visit. Those who are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 must quarantine themselves at home. If they have difficulty breathing, they must consult a doctor about what to do next.
And yet, apart from checking for symptoms, there’s little comfort the new self-checker provides. Someone who does have COVID-19 has little access to a vaccine, a testing kit, or medical supplies. Such individuals can do very little to help themselves in this climate — which could increase anxiety levels.
Coronavirus vaccines, testing kits, and declining infection numbers would all help ease global anxiety over COVID-19. Some with the disease may display few to no symptoms, so the self-checker won’t help them at all. The potential unemployment situation for some brings a level of anxiety that a self-checker cannot solve. Additionally, the self-checker is only for Americans, so global citizens won’t find any comfort in it.
COVID-19 health tech resources
The self-checker isn’t a panacea for the world’s problems right now. It is, however, one thing the CDC and Microsoft are doing to fight the battle against this deadly disease. Microsoft is sending employees home to socially distance themselves. Additionally, the Redmond company has a tracker map to show the location and number of increasing infections in the US.
Apart from CDC and Microsoft, the World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with WhatsApp to provide COVID-19 news alerts and health information 24/7 for WhatsApp users.
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com