Healthcare Technology: COVID-19 Self-Diagnostic Tool by Reliance Jio

COVID-19 or the new Coronavirus disease is a highly infectious disease caused by a new strain of Coronavirus. Last March 11, the World Health Organization declared this disease as a pandemic. This means that the disease has already spread to the majority of countries across the globe, affecting thousands of people. There is a need for a COVID-19 self-diagnostic tool.

As of this writing, there are 1,203,485 confirmed cases worldwide, with 64,784 deaths. In India, there are 3,374 confirmed cases, 267 recoveries, and 77 deaths. To date, there are no vaccines or medications for this new Coronavirus.

To increase awareness among the public, Reliance has developed a COVID-19 self-diagnostic tool. Reliance is known in India for developing various apps such as JioTV for PC laptop Windows, JioHealthHub, and many others.

Coronavirus — Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

The COVID-19 Self-Diagnostic Tool

Reliance recently released its COVID-19 self-diagnostic tool through its MyJio app. This lets you check yourself or someone else for symptoms of the coronavirus disease. An infected person can experience symptoms such as cough, fever, tiredness, and difficulty in breathing. Aside from the mobile app, you can also use the web version of the symptom checker.

Reliance also provides other tools to raise awareness about the disease and how to adapt to life during a lockdown. You’ll find tips on maintaining good health, education tools for children and college students, and how to work from home efficiently. Reliance Jio also revised some of its plans to give more access to its users during the lockdown.

Users will also find a link to India’s state-run MyGov Corona Help Desk should you need more information about the pandemic. You can also view national and global statistics on the infections and deaths from COVID-19.

How to Use the Self-Diagnostic Tool

Using the self-diagnostic tool is simple and straightforward. We’ve written a step by step guide so you can use the tool:

Tap on the Menu of the MyJio app. The three horizontal lines symbolize the Menu.
Tap on Coronavirus – info & tools.
The COVID-19 page will appear. Tap on the Symptom checker.
The tool will then ask you a series of questions. Please answer them as detailed as you can.

Aside from the steps listed above, you could also access the tool in other ways. Tap on the notification about the tool when it pops up on the app. You can also tap on the #CoronaHaaregaIndiaJeetega hashtag and click on Check your symptoms now.

Sick - stay home — Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

List of Questions on the COVID-19 Self-Diagnostic Tool

To assess the potential risk or infection from COVID, you should try to answer this set of questions as much as you can. Here’s a list of the questions that you’ll find in MyJio app’s self-diagnostic tool:

For whom are you taking the test?
What is your gender?
What is your age group?
Do you have any of these health conditions?
Have you or someone in your family visited any of the below countries in the last 14 days?
Have you or someone in your family traveled within India in public transport and came in close contact with someone with cough, cold, fever, and shortness of breath in the last 14 days?
Have you or someone in your family come in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient in the last 14 days?
Do you have a fever?
Do you have a headache?
Do you have a cough?
Do you have a sore throat?
Do you feel shortness of breath?
Do you have hoarseness in your voice?

After getting the risk assessment results, the tool will suggest steps for you to follow. Please note that this is an initial assessment tool only. If you’re experiencing any of the COVID-19 related symptoms, please consult your doctor or go to the nearest testing center.

Stop COVID-19 — Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Other Features

Aside from the symptom checker, the MyJio app also offers a list of testing centers and FAQs about the virus. Several medical practitioners contribute to this information. You can get information from this section, such as:

Myths about the Coronavirus
Details on the symptoms
How the virus spreads
How to prevent spreading the virus
How to protect yourself from the virus

Other Facts about COVID-19

One way to battle the pandemic is to increase our knowledge about it. All the information reflected here is from the World Health Organization and other legitimate sources. We have listed down some facts about the new coronavirus disease and how you could protect yourself from it.

Who is susceptible to the new Coronavirus?

Anyone is susceptible to the Coronavirus, regardless of age. However, older people and people with pre-existing conditions (like asthma, diabetes, heart disease) seem to be more vulnerable. Everyone is advised to practice all the steps to protect themselves from the virus.

Is there a vaccine to prevent infection from COVID-19?

To date, there is no vaccine to prevent you from contracting the disease.

How can you protect yourself and others from the virus?

Washing hands — Image by Couleur from Pixabay

There is a list of things that you can do to protect yourself and others from getting infected with the virus. These include:

Washing your hands regularly for 20 seconds. Soap and water are best, but you may also use rubbing alcohol.
Avoid close contact with sick people. Practice physical distancing of at least 1 meter or 3 feet.
If you feel unwell, stay at home and self-isolate. Monitor your symptoms too.
When sneezing or coughing, always cover your nose and mouth with disposable tissue. If there is no disposable tissue available, you can sneeze or cough into your flexed elbow.
Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth if you haven’t washed your hands
Disinfect your surroundings regularly
If you have recently traveled to a location with confirmed cases of COVID-19, strictly follow the 14-day self-quarantine. Check if you experience any symptoms during this period.
If you have a fever, cough, and have difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.

Economic Impact

The COVID-19 is having an economic impact on the world. Quartines to stop the spread of the disease is creating a financial crisis. People are unable to go to work. Income is greatly reduced. Some food markets have shut down making it difficult to purchase food. Businesses may go bankrupt if they can’t sell their products. COVID-19 is creating havoc around the world.

Conclusion

Arming the public is one of the critical strategies in beating the new Coronavirus. Now that most borders are closing down because of the pandemic, we see how technology bridges the gaps between the people and essential services. Long are the days when we literally have to go to the hospital to have ourselves checked even with the mildest of sickness. We now have healthcare technology to help you do transactions such as pay your medical bills online, pay online bills with ease, and securely manage your healthcare.

Reliance Jio’s COVID-19 symptom checker helps the public by giving them a checklist of symptoms to look out for and knowing their risk of contracting the virus. While this tool is useful, we still advise that you seek medical attention so that you get a proper diagnosis.

Featured Photo by Daniel Frank from Pexels