Google pledges $500,000 for virus self-checkup site developed by S. Korea's military

Google has pledged $500,000 to help expand a coronavirus self-diagnosis website developed by the South Korean military's Medical Command in cooperation with government and private experts, officials said Friday.

The COVID-19 checkup site helps users decide whether to visit hospitals depending on the symptoms they experience, according to the Armed Forces Medical Command.

The support system also helps doctors decide on hospitalization or intensive care needs for patients through remote monitoring of their conditions.

On Thursday, Google selected it as one of 31 data analytics projects across the world granted support to fight the pandemic.

"For countries with comparatively poor medical conditions, or those suffering from medical resources shortage due to a surge in the number of patients, this service will help them effectively allocate resources and provide appropriate treatment for patients," said Capt. Heo Joon-nyung, a medical officer who led the project.

Military hospitals plan to use the service to treat virus patients. Discussions are also under way for its possible use at quarantine facilities, the command said.

The website is currently available in Korean only, but the command plans to expand the service for foreign users down the road, it said. (Yonhap)