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From now on, the popular navigation application Google Maps will report on COVID-19 outbreaks occurring around the world, with geographic information of the cases. The new functionality was added for users of the Android and iOS operating systems as an additional layer on top of the maps.
More than a billion people use Google Maps to get essential information on how to get from one place to another. Amid the pandemic, the app has already included several new features, such as location checkpoints in driving navigation, COVID-19 changes in transit, as well as when individual businesses see the most visitors, which that helps people stay safe.
Now, the novel feature will show how many COVID-19 cases there are in particular geographic regions. The information displayed is the average number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days for the area being viewed, with a label indicating whether the trend in new cases is upward or not. The tool will be available for 220 countries.
Using it is quite simple. First, make sure you have the latest version of the Google Maps app as you will need to update it for the information to be visible (the update may take a few days to be available depending on where you live). Once you get the update, open Google Maps, tap the layers button and choose the “COVID-19” information layer.
To help you navigate the world safely, you will begin to see information about new COVID cases in an area with data from sources such as @New York City Times, @Johns HopkinsY @Wikipedia on a new layer in Maps.
It will roll out to iOS and Android, with more ways to stay up to date soon. 👍 pic.twitter.com/iWB02T0aAB
– Google Maps (@googlemaps) September 23, 2020
Google Maps Product Manager Sujoy Banerjee announced the new feature in a post on Google’s website. He said the goal is to help users “make decisions about where to go and what to do with the best information” and reach their destinations “in the safest and most efficient way possible.”
The data included in the new COVID-19 layer comes from multiple sources, including Johns Hopkins University, The New York Times newspaper and Wikipedia, which in turn collect data from health entities such as the World Health Organization, ministries of health and hospitals. worldwide.
While this sounds good, there are a few issues to consider. Wikipedia’s COVID-19 coronavirus data will depend on who logs into Wikipedia and enters the information on the appropriate page, for example. This means that the accuracy of Google Maps will depend on what type of COVID-19 data is reported and where.
At the same time, the identification of cases depends on the evidence. It is not enough to know how many tests are performed, it is also necessary to know where and how often the tests are performed and on whom. Without this, it is difficult to know the accuracy of case reports around the world.
There could also be reporting delays. Once the test is done, the results must somehow reach the appropriate public health authorities. Also, there is the granularity of the data. If cases are reported at the county level, the data won’t be able to tell you much about which specific streets to avoid.
Tech companies have tried to collaborate amid the pandemic. Apple displayed test centers and shared mobility data through Apple Maps, while Facebook launched a COVID-19 information center to provide information. However, companies also fight misinformation. One study showed that Google funneled more than $ 19 million to websites that spread misinformation about the pandemic.
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