Searching for COVID-19 related terms, the company says, now it will display information on more than 2,000 COVID-19 test centers in 43 states in the United States. The Verge.
There are other changes as well. Searching for items related to COVID-19 will now display the new & # 39; Test & # 39; tab as part of the information displayed in Google's COVID-19 SOS notification. Click or tap the appropriate test tab and you will see many resources related to the COVID-19 test at the top of the search results. This includes a link to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) online COVID-19 symptom checker, a suggestion to speak with a health care provider if you think you should be tested, a link to the COVID-19 test information from your local health authority, and a test center to actually take the test You may need to call.
The test tab also displays information about a specific test center Otherwise Google is in Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon or Pennsylvania. The Verge. Google only surfaced test sites that were approved for publication by the health authorities, the company said. For the same reason, Google only lists one test center located in Albany, New York, but expects to add more New York listings to New York.
The result is: I am writing this in Portland, Oregon. Results do not list nearby test centers.
COVID-19 testing standards and availability vary by region, so we use these resources to point to regional information. According to Google support documentation, test information is provided "directly from government agencies, public health departments or medical institutions."
Google launched the COVID-19 website on March 21st, which provides information and resources about epidemic diseases. Google's sister company, Verily, offers free COVID-19 tests if people in California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania are eligible after online screening.
Google isn't the only company trying to find COVID-19 test information more easily. Last weekend, Apple was able to launch a website to submit information from health care providers and labs that provide COVID-19 tests and to display the test results as test sites in Apple Maps search results.