Siri & Google Are Here To Answer Your Coronavirus Questions

Siri isn’t just here to call friends and share trivia. Now, it will help address your fears about COVID-19. On Saturday, Apple updated Siri to answer coronavirus-related questions with answers and advice approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Siri will also answer the one question we have all been Googling nonstop: “Do I have the coronavirus?”

If you ask a variation on this question, Siri will respond, “If you’re worried you might have coronavirus, a few yes/no questions can help you understand your situation.” You will then be asked if you are experiencing some of the primary symptoms of the virus, including a dry cough, a fever, and shortness of breath. 

Eventually, if your answers indicate you have mild symptoms, Siri will instruct you to stay home. If your symptoms are cause for concern, it will tell you to call 911. Either way, it will also suggest apps that provide virtual or over-the-phone medical consultations, reports CNBC.

Apple is also making greater financial strides to help the crisis. CEO Tim Cook pledged to donate millions of masks to health care workers in the U.S. and across Europe, and earlier this month, the company donated $15 million to help both affected communities and individuals.

As President Donald Trump vaguely promised back when he called a state of national emergency, Google also published a new, easily accessible page full of resources. The page includes common Google searches and their answers, advisory information from the World Health Organization, and an updated map of coronavirus cases by country. 

Further down on the page, Google offers resources including tools for educators, businesses, and individuals suffering under the pandemic. Google will even direct you to remote job opportunities and YouTube playlists full of at-home workout routines.

Google also announced a $50 million donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The company added a link to the bottom of their resource page, noting that they would match $2 for every $1 donated to the fund through their form.