Just a few days back, we reported that Apple has updated its digital assistant Siri to run a brief diagnosis whenever you ask "Hey Siri, do I have coronavirus?" or variations of that question.
Siri will present you with a qestionnaire prepared in concert with the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), and based on your answers it will guide on CDC-based recommendations such as avoiding close contact with people outside your home or social distancing, washing your hands thoroughly with soap for 20 seconds, or in severe cases, seeking the help of a medical expert or doctor.
Likewise, Amazon's Alexa and Echo smart home speakers have now a similar screening tool that offers CDC's recommendations to users who think they could have contacted COVID-19. It also has a hefty set of features that are designed to keep the users "informed, connected, and entertained," during the ongoing global pandemic.
'Hey Alexa, do I have coronavirus?'
If you live in the US, you now can ask Alexa to assess your coronavirus risk level and what to do if you think you have COVID-19. Alexa will ask you a series of questions, which are basically related to symptoms and your travel history and based on your answers, Alexa will provide you with the CDC guidelines and offer recommendations on what to do next.
The coronavirus screening service by Alexa is also available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Indian Japan and the UK, apart from the US and depending on your country of residence it will provide recommendations and guidance form local health authorities and ministries of the particular country.
Time your hand wash with Alexa
Apart from the COVID-19 screening, you can also ask Alexa to sing a song for 20 seconds in order to time your hand wash. For those who don't already know, the CDC recommends that people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds as a precautionary measure to better protect themselves against coronavirus infection.
Also, Alexa has been equipped to answer "tens of thousands" of questions related to the coronavirus, so that you can get all your coronavirus-related information right from the safety and comfort of your home.
Meanwhile, Amazon is working to bring more factual, timely information from authorities and official government sources and other leading news sources to its devices. Both the Fire TV and Echo Show devices now give users access to a wide range of COVID-19 news and updates from leading news sources like NBC and CBS.
More than just a voice-assistant
Those willing to make donations or schedule blood donations for the Red Cross or other humanitarian relief can use Alexa's existing skills that keep people connected via tools like Skype and Drop-in and seek others to contribute or participate.
Students who are missing out on their school and academics due to the stay-at-home orders in place, can keep up with their studies by connecting an Alexa-enabled device with online learning platforms such as Blackboard and Coursera.
More things that you can do with Alexa
Just a small reminder, Amazon-owned audio book service Audible announced a free Audio Stories service, so you can also ask Alexa or your Echo speaker to stream those stories and you can listen to them in six different languages. Meanwhile, you can also stream live concerts from Bandsintown via Alexa and make your bring stay-at-home fun and enjoyable by using existing Alexa abilities like playing music, movies and more.
