Apple launches coronavirus screening tool: White House

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - The White House announced Friday that Apple launched a coronavirus screening tool, a website and new app, to offer guidance to people.

"Huge thanks to @Apple! Together with the White House, @CDCgov [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] & @fema [Federal Emergency Management Institute], Apple launched a COVID19 screening tool that guides users through questions about symptoms and exposure, using CDC guidance to help determine steps they should take, including testing," the White House said on Twitter.

The tool, which does not require a logging in process, asks user questions about her/his symptoms, age, chronic disease, recent travel, and possible exposure to the virus.

Following to the several questions, the tool gives the user recommended next steps and suggests if the user needs to take a test for coronavirus in accordance with the screening results.

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus climbed over 26,800 as of Friday, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The virus known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 176 countries and regions around the globe, while confirmed cases topped 585,000.

In all, 129,800 people diagnosed with the virus have recovered from the disease.