Feeling Lost with COVID-19 Home Treatment? Consult with a 'Chatbot'

Screen of the 'COVID-19 Self-Diagnosis Chatbot' service by Seoul National University Hospital and Kakao.

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] As the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic becomes increasingly severe, the number of patients receiving home treatment is rapidly rising. However, administrative and treatment capacities to support this have not been adequately established, resulting in frequent cases where patients do not receive necessary information in time and their symptoms worsen. Even when questions arise regarding COVID-19 symptoms, it becomes difficult to respond properly. In this context, Seoul National University Hospital and Kakao have launched a chatbot service to assist with this.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 6th, as of midnight that day, the number of home treatment patients reached 1,120,500. Following the previous day’s figure of 1,025,973, which surpassed one million for the first time, the number continues to increase steadily. However, excluding the 172,831 patients under intensive management who receive health monitoring twice daily, the local medical institutions providing phone consultations and prescriptions for the approximately 950,000 general home treatment patients numbered only 7,827 nationwide as of 5 p.m. on the 4th. With the number of home treatment patients increasing rapidly compared to the number of medical institutions, phone connections have become difficult, and patients unable to receive timely help have expressed dissatisfaction, leading to complaints of being 'left unattended at home.'

Seoul National University Hospital and Kakao have prepared a 'COVID-19 Self-Diagnosis Chatbot' service to help in this situation. Seoul National University Hospital explained that, amid the spread of the Omicron variant causing a surge in mild cases and a sharp increase in demand for home treatment, it was necessary to establish a means to provide patients receiving home treatment with practical information such as interpretations of test results and measures to improve symptoms. In collaboration with Kakao, they developed this service to meet that need.

The chatbot service is available to anyone by adding the 'COVID-19 Self-Diagnosis' channel on KakaoTalk. For those undergoing home treatment, the chatbot assessment of current health status allows users to check results according to symptoms, such as severe infection, intensive home treatment management group, or general management group. Isolation guidelines including isolation period and precautions during isolation are provided, along with treatment recommendations for symptoms appearing upon COVID-19 confirmation, such as fever, sore throat, and nasal congestion. Information on hospitals available for treatment and testing can also be accessed.

Even those not subject to home treatment can obtain helpful information. Guidance and precautions necessary before and after COVID-19 confirmation are provided. Additionally, through the ‘COVID-19 FAQ’ menu, users can quickly access various COVID-19-related information, including rapid antigen tests, PCR tests, and suspected COVID-19 symptoms, beyond just self-diagnosis.

Kim Yeonsu, director of Seoul National University Hospital, stated, “Based on Seoul National University Hospital’s experience in treating COVID-19 patients, we have provided medical information and advice on specific response measures according to infection stages,” adding, “We will strive for proactive responses in cooperation with related organizations by providing accurate and correct information for the safety of all citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.