Meet COBO, A COVID-19 Self Assessment Messenger Chatbot
As global numbers of those infected by coronavirus increase, it’s natural to worry if you may be infected too. But is it premature panic or are you actually at risk? We made it easy to find out!
While discussing ways to help the fight against COVID-19 we found two major challenges. At the macro level — added stress on health infrastructure, at the individual level — panic and uncertainty. So we came up with a self-assessment test in collaboration with medical professionals. Meet COBO, a COVID-19 self-assessment chatbot.
Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic
We are all going through an unprecedented time right now. Adapting to this new situation is challenging for society as a whole, which is why it is more important than ever to stay connected, support one another and continue to exchange ideas. We want to provide a platform for everyone to self assess the risk this virus can cause to all of us and also provide every test taker an outcome that
would help them to be precautions of the same.
Why Facebook Messenger?
A recent study shows that messaging apps have overtaken social media apps in terms of monthly active users. With over 1.4 billion users, Messenger is the most popular messaging app in the world, and average messenger messages get a 90% open rate. In the past month, messaging has increased by 50% and it’s the best channel right now to grab everyone’s attention.
Meet COBO
The COVID-19 Self-Assessment Test, a Facebook Messenger Chatbot, will enable anyone to answer a few set of questions and check if they are at risk of developing COVID-19. Based on their answers, each user will be recommended the ideal next step. At the same time, it will also aggregate vital data for doctors and decision-makers.
In an accessible, conversational format, the test will request information about a user’s age, zip code, travel history, symptoms, symptom severity, history of chronic ailments and living situation. Their answers will prompt a recommended plan of action such as self-quarantine, hospitalization, or telemedicine (telephonic or video consultation with a doctor). The data will empower doctors to focus their efforts and attention towards those with a high-risk. At the same time, the bot is designed to benefit both the general public and doctors trying to contain the outbreak and also map data based on their zip code.
