Amazon Alexa to Respond to COVID-19 Questions
Amazon,com's teams are working to make Alexa and Amazon Devices (Kindle, Fire tablets, Echo, Fire TV, and more) even more helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, Amazon's Alexa health team built a U.S. experience that lets you use Alexa to check your risk level for COVID-19 at home, using just your voice. Ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?" or "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?," and Alexa will ask a series of questions about your travel history, symptoms, and possible exposure. Based on your responses, Alexa will provide CDC guidance given your risk level and symptoms.
In Japan, you can also use Alexa to check your risk level at home. Based on your responses, Alexa will provide Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare guidance matching your risk level and symptoms.
Amazon customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, the UK, and the U.S. can now ask Alexa to sing a song for 20 seconds, and she’ll help you keep time while you scrub your hands with a tune.
In addition, Alexa can now answer tens of thousands of questions related to COVID-19 in countries around the world.
Amazon customers can use Fire TV devices to access coverage of COVID-19 from apps that do not require a subscription, such as CBS News, Fox News, NBC News, and the News app. Just say "Alexa, play the news."
Official CDC PSA videos are available to U.S. customers on the homepage of Fire TV and Echo Show devices by saying, "Alexa, play the CDC video."
On Echo Show devices in the U.S., customers can ask, "Alexa, play news from CBS," to get the latest from the CBS News Live feed.