Skip to main content

Coronavirus self-screening app released

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, has launched CoronaCheck, a new mobile app that enables Pakistanis to easily and safely evaluate symptoms with an in-home screening tool and understand the next steps to looking after themselves. 

The app uses an interactive chatbot, driven by artificial intelligence, which allows users to understand their symptoms, recognize whether they may have contracted COVID-19 and seek help in a timely manner. It also aims to identify potential coronavirus carriers, limit their risk of transmission and to list the national helplines available. 

By reducing the need for patients to visit hospitals for screening, the app will also contribute to reducing the burden on the healthcare system and ensure care for those most in need. 

CoronaCheck has been jointly developed by the Aga Khan University Hospital, whose clinical faculty advised on the development of the screening algorithm, and AKU’s Technology Innovation Support Centre, TISC, which provided the technological expertise for the app.

“The coronavirus has placed the country’s healthcare system under tremendous strain with frontline healthcare professionals already working around the clock. Through this app, we hope to share useful tips that can prevent new cases and provide reassurance to worried citizens during a time of widespread concern,” Saleem Sayani, director of AKU’s TISC, observed. 

The tool has been adopted from the Alberta Health Services and modified to meet the local context and the evolving epidemiology of the disease. CoronaCheck also seeks to tackle myths and misconceptions by featuring educational videos in Urdu, to combat the increasing amount of unverified information circulating on social media platforms. 

It also includes authentic information on best practices to protect oneself from infection, advice on self-assessment, and precautions and guidance on physical distancing recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) and national health ministries.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. Zeelaf Munir Calls for Supply Chain Reforms to Strengthen Pakistan’s Food Security at Breathe Pakistan 2026

  Karachi: At the recently held Breathe Pakistan 2026 conference, where EBM participated as the principal partner, the company’s Managing Director and CEO Dr. Zeelaf Munir emphasized the urgent need to rebuild Pakistan’s agricultural supply chain to ensure long-term food security and sustainable development. Addressing participants at the event, Dr. Zeelaf Munir stated that while initiatives such as improved seeds, affordable credit facilities, and crop insurance are important, they alone cannot transform the lives of smallholder farmers unless the supply chain that follows agricultural production is fundamentally restructured. She highlighted that Pakistan’s food security is being “made or lost” within the post-farm supply chain, stressing that inefficiencies in storage, transportation, distribution, and market access continue to limit the benefits reaching farmers and consumers alike. Dr. Munir further noted that the transformation required in Pakistan’s agri-food sector must ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Constitution, Justice and Public Trust Essential for National Unity: Speakers

Bazm-e-Mukalma Pakistan organized the 39th Professor Karrar Hussain Memorial Lecture with a question-and-answer session at Rabat Hall, Bahadurabad, on “Lack of National Unity: Causes and Remedies.” Speakers and senior analysts Syed Muzafar Ejaz and Mazhar Abbas said national unity could not be achieved through slogans alone, but required justice, equality, constitutional supremacy, democratic continuity and public trust. They highlighted religious, linguistic, provincial and class-based divisions as major challenges to national cohesion. Mazhar Abbas stressed the importance of institutions working within their constitutional limits, freedom of the press and respect for the people’s right to choose their representatives. The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session on national identity, constitutional supremacy, the political system, provincial grievances and the role of state institutions.
Post a Comment
Read more

China's port city Tianjin houses beautiful mosque

By Masood Sattar Khan (Pakistan News & Features Services) Tianjin, one the China’s busiest port cities and close to Beijing, has a beautiful masque sprawling on 1970 meters with all modern facilities for worshippers.  The famous Tianjin East Mosque is located in downtown at Ermalu Road in Nankai district. Tianjin is estimated to have around a Muslim population of 180,000.  The mosque was built anew in 2008 when it was relocated to shift for more spacious space to facilitate the local Muslims.  The new mosque is very beautiful with modern facilities thus the atmosphere becomes more comfortable for the worshippers. The walls of the main prayer hall are decorated with verses from Holy Quran.
Post a Comment
Read more