Want COVID-19 information? Ask Alexa

Amazon is offering a variety of informational and communication services via its Alexa voice assistant and other platforms.

Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, the Alexa health team built a U.S. experience that lets consumers use Alexa to check their risk level for COVID-19 at home. Consumers can ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?" or "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?," and Alexa will ask a series of questions about their travel history, symptoms, and possible exposure. Based on responses, Alexa will provide CDC guidance given the consumer’s risk level and symptoms.

Customers in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, and the U.K. can now ask Alexa to sing a song for 20 seconds, and the device will help them keep time while they scrub their hands with a tune.

For the latest news, customers can use Fire TV devices to access coverage of COVID-19 from apps that do not require a subscription, such as CBS News, Fox News, NBC News, and the News app, by saying, "Alexa, play the news." Official CDC public service announcement (PSA) videos are available to U.S. customers on the homepage of Amazon Fire TV and Echo Show devices by saying, "Alexa, play the CDC video." On Echo Show devices in the U.S., customers can ask, "Alexa, play news from CBS," to get the latest from the CBS News Live feed.

In the U.S., consumers can make cash donations to Feeding America's COVID-19 response fund, Save the Children, and the American Red Cross from any Alexa-enabled device by saying, "Alexa, make a donation to the COVID-19 response fund" to donate to Feeding America, or "Alexa, make a donation to Save the Children."

Consumers can also use Alexa to schedule a blood donation with the American Red Cross by saying, "Alexa, open Red Cross Blood."