Fever above 37.5°C, dry or wet cough, shortness of breath, chills, fatigue, headaches… Do you have symptoms that may suggest coronavirus? To find out if you have the Covid-19 coronavirus (or not), there is a new reflex: call 0806 800 540.
HelloCovid, what is it? At the end of the line, there is not a person but… an artificial intelligence. Developed under the medical and scientific supervision of Inserm, AlloCovid was developed by the companies e.Voyageurs SNCF (the digital subsidiary of SNCF Voyageurs) and Allo-Media (a start-up specializing in artificial intelligence).
His role ? Refer people with symptoms of Sars-Cov-2 infection to the platform or healthcare professional best suited to their situation…
HelloCovid, how does it work? In the event of symptoms that could be reminiscent of the coronavirus, call 0806 800 540. This number is free (cost of a normal call) and accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
The “intelligent” virtual agent then submits a medical questionnaire to the patient – this questionnaire was developed in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Health. Artificial intelligence is able to detect signs of disease severity, as well as vulnerable patients (suffering from chronic kidney disease, for example) at risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19.
At the end of the questionnaire, the virtual agent redirects the patient to a healthcare professional, to an emergency hospital service or to a suitable information platform.
A number accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and toll-free
HelloCovid, who is it for? Inserm explains that “all people over the age of 15 wishing to find out about Covid-19 and whether they have symptoms compatible with the infection are invited to contact this number (…) as many times as their condition requires.“. No internet connection, no form is required.
HelloCovid, does it work? Currently, 1000 “intelligent virtual voice agents” are available on AlloCovid. The device was tested for 7 days in April 2020 by the Samu 78. “This experiment made it possible to validate the reliability and effectiveness of the project” specify the creators. Who add that: “scalable, this intelligent device will be enriched and adapted over the weeks according to the evolution of knowledge on the epidemic“.
HelloCovid, is that safe? The question of the processing of personal data obviously arises. In addition to supporting (potential) patients, AlloCovid’s objective is also to “contribute to the collection of data to ensure real-time monitoring of the epidemic everywhere in France, DOM-COM included, in particular with a view to supporting the release from containment and immediately detect potential outbreaks“. Thus, all medical data will be transmitted daily to Public Health France… but anonymously.
Source: press release Inserm, SNCF, Allomedia, Privacy impact and University of Paris.
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