Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare's COVID-19 symptom checker tool has completed more than 300,000 screenings worldwide since launching March 20, according to STAT.
Researchers built the online tool in response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and adapted it to screen for COVID-19. The tool, called c19check, asks users to enter their symptoms and underlying health conditions before making a recommendation on whether they should seek care.
Four statistics on the tool's global reach and screening recommendations:
1. Based on data through April 7, about 22 percent of screenings involved patients with signs of severe illness who were instructed to seek emergency care.
2. About 40 percent of screenings determined that patients' symptoms did not pose a risk of COVID-19, while 38 percent were deemed intermediate or low risk. The latter group was instructed to monitor their symptoms.
3. The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (95,533 reports), sore throat (88,756), headache (84,502) and fatigue (76,670).
4. About 50,000 of the 300,000 screenings occurred in Georgia. The remainder were recorded in other U.S. states and abroad. The symptom checker has been translated into 18 languages and used in countries including Pakistan and Estonia.
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