Google Launches Coronavirus Website, Nothing Like Trump Promised It serves as an online resource to understand the coronavirus outbreak, but Google's website isn't what the Trump administration described.
By Justin Herrick Edited by Jessica Thomas
This story originally appeared on PC Mag
Google's website to guide Americans through the coronavirus outbreak has gone live.
It dishes out information and data updated regularly. Google reveals top searches related to the coronavirus, but it also put forth several items that focus on education and prevention. When visiting Google's website, you'll see a standard information card explaining COVID-19 and how it spreads. Google then directs users to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, as they're trusted experts on the matter.
Further, the website includes several clips highlighting important information and state-specific links to understand measures being put in place at the local level. There's also an entire section dedicated to tips on working remotely, coping with stressful days, working out, and cooking.
Google didn't plan on rolling out a full-fledged website so soon, but White House officials put the Mountain View-based company on the spot in a press conference. It doesn't resemble what President Donald Trump described: an online resource for all Americans to locate testing centers and get tested; it's actually sister company Verily that is offering access to a limited number of tests to residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Instead, all Americans are able to visit Google's generic website that offers information surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
In addition to the website, there's also an update for Google Search. Google announced it's offering enhanced search results through information cards. They'll include an overview with top stories as well as tabs for symptoms, prevention, treatments, and statistics. Between all of this, tracking the coronavirus and understanding its nature shouldn't be too difficult.
Limited to the United States right now, the website should arrive in other countries and languages within the next few days. Google is developing a system that gathers information and data for all parts of the world to serve the general public. From there, it's just a matter of people listening to health organizations in a global effort to reduce the disease's ability to spread to more people.
