Please Do Not Use Your IPhone to Self-Diagnose COVID-19
The coronavirus scares us all. I’ve seen too many stories this weekend of seemingly healthy young people stricken with COVID-19 and dying within a week. I was even tempted to google about the symptoms when I got a mild cough and possibly a stuffy nose because health concerns are real.
With that in mind, I urge you not to ask Siri if you have coronavirus or not. Obviously she can’t diagnose you, but she will now offer you quick questions and answers to help you figure out if you really need to go to the emergency room or emergency room – or any other local testing system your area has to offer. …
I’m not saying Siri isn’t trying to help. Here are some examples of what you might see when you call her for help, depending on how you answer the various requests:
That’s the problem. The symptoms of coronavirus, if you have one, should be pretty obvious, even though they may be different in some situations. If you usually feel unwell but do not feel empty (and do not have more persistent and obvious symptoms such as persistent unrelenting fever and cough), you may or may not have coronavirus. There is no real way to rate at this time. You will have to wait to see if you get worse, but you should not rush to the hospital at the first sign of a dry cough (having nothing else).
Obviously, the equation changes if you’ve come into contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19 – then take you to a testing center. And if you are in a high-risk group (over 60 years old or have some underlying medical condition that would be even more problematic if you had coronavirus), you can exercise caution. Not panic, but caution .
Don’t run to the emergency room unless it’s an emergency, but you can call your doctor to see what options you have (or get a second opinion). Again, if you have more obvious symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath, you may want to get tested.
So why is Siri hated? I don’t like the fact that Apple is now giving you a little tweak to get through if you think you might have coronavirus. However, having this option can be much more troubling if nothing else. And that’s not all that useful. When you tell Siri that you have symptoms, but they are not life-threatening, you are told that these are symptoms related to the coronavirus. Hold on, and if it gets worse, do something.
Well yes .
If you are really concerned, take a thermometer instead of your phone. Or call your healthcare provider for advice from someone who is trained in these things. (They can get crowded, so don’t call unless you have a legitimate concern, not just a cough.) You can also try any local health centers or testing sites that can help a little more than your digital assistant.
And of course, don’t download apps that promise to provide you with additional information about COVID-19 – like tracking your neighbors, outbreak heatmaps, or anything similar. Until such things come from an official source, there is a good chance that you will be scammed or phished than anything else.