On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. A pandemic is declared when a new disease, which people have no immunity to, spreads around the world, and is heavily transmitted between individuals. COVID-19. On February 21, 2020, the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon announced the first case of Coronavirus (COVID-19), and as of the date of this blog post, 619 cases have been identified, 20 of which were fatal. The government imposed a number of gradual measures to slow down the spread of the virus, including asking people to stay home.
trakMD, as a patient engagement platform that has always aimed to empower patients, is dedicating its resources in these difficult times to assist in every way possible in fighting the spread of COVID-19. In collaboration with the Epidemiological Surveillance and E-Health teams of the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, and as per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and recommendations, trakMD has developed an online symptom checker and self-help guide for people who might think they have symptoms of COVID-19, or are unsure and need guidance. The online symptom checker helps people determine if testing is needed, where the nearest testing location is, and what best course of action to be taken for every different circumstance. It is available in both Arabic & English and can be accessed via the Ministry’s mobile app, its website, and directly from trakMD’s website.
This public health service tool is essential in a time where abiding strictly to health recommendations and guidelines is of the utmost importance in containing the spread of Coronavirus. This COVID-19 symptom checker is developed to assert the need to take action on an individual level in the community, and aims to assist individuals in understanding the best course of action while lifting some of the heavy burden on the MOPH’s hotline and dedicating it to cases that are most in need.
The joint efforts between trakMD and MOPH to fight COVID-19 continue as their teams work around the clock to provide the public with a much need online consultation solution. The solution would allow patients to connect remotely with healthcare providers from the safety and comfort of their homes. A dedicated team of healthcare providers from the Ministry will be available to assist patients suspecting infection or those in quarantine in an efficient manner in identifying and following up on COVID-19 cases.
