Since last march 20, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its new channel Health alert on WhastApp. It is
a service of free usage through which all users of WhastApp can access information fast, reliable and official 24 hours a day, all over the world about the pandemic of the Coronavirus, and that from today it is available also in Spanish.
This channel operates in an automated manner and receives commands from the user through a bot that is in charge of giving you all the options available. It has been designed to respond to the questions of the society about the Coronavirus and it will also serve the decision-making of governments, by providing them with the latest figures and situation reports
How to receive alerts from the WHO on WhatsApp
To access you can use this direct link or save the number +41 79 893 1892 in your phone contacts and then simply send the word “Hello” in a message of WhatsApp to get you started.
Once you submit the greeting you will receive an automatic response with multiple options. You can choose to simply writing and sending the corresponding number as a message in WhatsApp.
The bot can show you links to the most recent figures on the global number of infected and numbers by countryin addition to geographic distribution. By typing the “2” you can receive information on how to protect yourself, the “3” contains a frequently asked questions section, the “4” unmount rumors, the “5” has travel tips, the “6” news, and with 7,8, and 9 you can share, donate or change language.
This service responds to a series of warnings and is updated daily with the latest information. Given the enormous amount of misinformation that is being shared through WhastApp, it is now more important than ever to rely only on official sources.
It is one of the reasons why WhatsApp, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), presented the Information centre of the Coronavirus WhatsApp that offers general tips and resources for users around the world to reduce the spread of rumors and provide accurate health information.
it was originally published in
Engadget
by
Gabriela Gonzalez
.
