03/27/2020 – Fast Company

Stav Dimitropoulos

During the coronavirus pandemic, our smartphones have become a lifeline, keeping us connected, informed, sane, employed, and socially distant. But they are also emerging as necessary tools to keep us safe and healthy. Smartphones’ cameras and sensors are increasingly turning them into fast, accurate, and low-cost devices for medical diagnosis—without their users ever needing to leave home.

So far, the novel coronavirus has killed thousands of people worldwide and infected hundreds of thousands more. Health experts are straightforward: Stay home or you risk contracting and spreading the disease. Particularly the high-at-risk among us, such as the elderly, diabetics, and immunosuppressed people, must remain home. At the same time, these vulnerable populations still have health needs—and increasingly they can turn to their smartphones to monitor symptoms and even administer tests.