CoronaVirus: WHO has built a bot on WhatsApp to provide important COVID-19 updates

As the Coronavirus pandemic spreads, people all over the globe are turning to the World Health Organization- WHO for official, trusted health information and advice.

The new service, which is free to use, has been designed to answer questions from the public about Coronavirus, and to give prompt, reliable and official information 24 hours a day, worldwide. This will also serve government decision-makers by providing the latest numbers and situation reports.

To use the service, WhatsApp users can save the number (+41 79 893 1892) to their phone contacts, then text the word ‘Hi’ in a WhatsApp message to begin.

The bot will then respond via a series of prompts, covering key queries and information – and ideally, dispelling some of the rumors and misinformation around the outbreak which have been spreading via social and messaging apps.

You can also Start by clicking WHO Health Alert, then simply text the word ‘Hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started. The service responds to a series of prompts and will be updated daily with the latest information.

Currently, this bot provides you with latest numbers across the world related to the pandemic, tips and FAQs on the disease, myths surrounding COVID-19, travel advice, and latest news from the health organization.

While WHO has an expansive site dedicated to COVID-19, WhatsApp is an easier way to reach over 2 billion people. Plus, a lot of people might not have basic information related to the outbreak. For them, WhatsApp messages are a more accessible way to learn about the current situation.

The new bot is initially launching in English, but will also be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish within the next few weeks. Hopefully this new chatbot will go a way towards dispelling myths and misinformation.

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