Alphabet's Verily has launched a website where California residents can complete a short survey regarding their current condition and, if they meet certain criteria, could be referred to a nearby mobile COVID-19 testing site.

Conducted through Verily's Project Baseline population health effort and developed in collaboration with federal, state and local public health authorities, the triage program was promoted by President Donald Trump Friday during an address to the country on efforts against the novel coronavirus.

The president said during this address that this site would help facilitate testing across the U.S. However, the tech company later cautioned that the pilot public health program launched today is still "in its early stages."

Currently, the survey only asks users whether their COVID-19 symptoms are severe, whether they are older than 18 years and whether they live within 50 miles of Santa Clara County or San Mateo County. The operational capacity of these early test sites also seems to be limited – as of this afternoon, responses that would normally yield a referral to testing services receive a message from the company that says it is "unable to schedule more appointments at this time."

In a Google blog post, the company detailed a range of other initiatives it is taking to stem the impact of COVID-19. These efforts include the promotion of World Health Organization educational initiatives across its platforms, the removal of misinformation from its websites and services, donations and grants through its philanthropic arm, and the release of open-source research from its artificial-intelligence subsidiary DeepMind.

WHY IT MATTERS

Alphabet's brands and platforms play a central role in how many people use technology, meaning that the company is well poised to influence information-seeking and social behaviors at a time when public health officials are calling for more-stringent prevention measures.

Verily's website seeks to streamline both triage and testing – two areas in which the U.S. response to the pandemic has so far been criticized. But so far it doesn't look as if the life sciences subsidiary will be able to stem the tide without seriously expanding its effort.

THE LARGER TREND

With more than 150,000 confirmed cases and 5,735 deaths as of March 15, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has brought much of the world to a standstill as countries and businesses alike work to halt its spread. Digital health has been no exception in this regard, with dozens and dozens of startups, major tech players and other entities announcing new services ranging from COVID-19 health-alert integrations for EHRs, informational apps, live disease tracking and a major uptick in telehealth utilization.

CVS will be integrating social-care-coordination platform Unite Us into its opioid-focused program "Guardian Angel," which was launched by Aetna in 2018. 

The duo will roll out this combined effort first in North Carolina, where case managers will be able to use the Unite Us platform to organize with social services, including housing, food and financial support. By the end of 2020, case managers using the system will also have access to North Carolina's network of healthcare and human-services platform NCCARE360. 

"We recognize that whether a person is successfully able to fight addiction is not solely determined by the medical treatment that they receive. Through the Unite Us network of social care providers, people can more easily access support within their community and have a better chance of recovery."

The pair plans to expand this service to other districts as well. The two will also be launching the program in New Orleans and Tampa Bay, Florida, specifically to serve Aetna's Medicaid and dual-eligible members. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Within the last decade, drug overdoses have quickly become a public health epidemic. In 2017, the CDC reported in 2017 that more than 70,000 people died from a drug overdose. The National Institutes for Health report that, on average, 128 people in the United States died every day from overdosing on opioids in 2018. 

THE LARGER TREND 

In the past few years, the medical world has had a renewed focus on social determinants of health. According to the CDC, social determinants of health include everything from food security to housing status and income to access to health services. These factors can impact an individual’s health risks and outcomes.

We've seen plenty of initiatives addressing social determinants, including Solera and Blue Cross Blue Shield Institute teaming up on an initiative to link patients to community resources. 

The digital health industry has also seen a rise in resources for individuals with substance-abuse disorder. In response to the growing number of opioid overdoses, the federal government expanded access to telemedicine and tightened down on e-prescribing for opioids. 

ON THE RECORD 

"Improving health starts at the community level, and most of that work needs to take place outside of a doctor's office," Dr. Garth Graham, vice president of community health and impact at CVS Health, said in a statement. "Our collaboration with Unite Us allows us to support some of the most vulnerable members of the community, providing them with the local resources that they need to improve their everyday lives."