Amazon has announced that it has added features to its Alexa voice assistant that can help users determine their risk level for having contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus. As of now all Alexa users in the United States can ask Alexa questions like, “Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?” or “Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?” upon which Alexa will begin triaging them.
Once one of the above questions is asked, Alexa will ask the user about their symptoms, travel history, and any possible exposure they may have had to someone infected with the disease. Depending upon the user’s response, Alexa will offer the user guidance that comes directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about what they should do next.
Users can take advantage of Alexa’s new COVID-19 features on any device Alexa runs on, including smartphones, tablets, Kindles, and more. It should also be noted that Amazon isn’t the first to empower its voice assistant to offer CDC COVID-19 information.
As the virus and concerns spreads, tech companies are racing to help people find accurate information and ways to support each other. WhatsApp now has a World Health Organization chatbot, and Facebook is sharing its Messenger developers with government organizations to help them develop similar tools.
