Online tool analyses Covid-19 behaviour to prevent infection

A new AI-driven online system can evaluate someone's risks related to COVID-19 and deliver appropriate recommendations and resources.

Six US state and municipalities have signed up to use CV19 CheckUp: New York State, Florida, St. Louis, Washington State, Michigan and Los Angeles, while 24,000 people have signed up so far. 

CV19 CheckUp has been designed by BellAge Inc. The platform gives governments and health organisations access to aggregated data that shows how residents are practicing recommended safety measures. 

The tool asks users to complete a short survey about their behaviour. Answers are confidential and the process doesn't require a name or any identifiable information. 

The system then uses artificial intelligence to assess each person’s coronavirus-related risks, and provides a report that includes recommendations to reduce those risks. Users immediately receive the report with answers to questions such as 'If I get COVID-19, how severe would it likely be?' and 'What steps can I take to reduce my risks of getting COVID-19?'

The data can also reveal infection hotspots and trends in behaviour such as population-based attitudes and behaviors by location, race, ethnicity and age. Healthcare policymakers can then use these insights to inform decision-making and interventions.

For example, it shows that while 81 per cent of the Florida residents who have used CV19 CheckUp said they always or almost always wear a mask when in public places, only 32 per cent wear a mask when meeting with family or friends they don’t live with. Public health officials have warned that family gatherings are one of the major sources of spread. 

The algorithms developed for the system use data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Governments, public health agencies and other organizations provide CV19 CheckUp free to users.

“The only way to get this pandemic under control is for people to understand the risk of getting the virus and spreading the virus, based on personal daily behaviours and living situations" said Greg Olsen, director of New York State Office for the Aging. "We will not be back to any sense of normalcy until everyone is on the same page."