Another potential source of information about the coronavirus pandemic is now available on the iPhone Apple has updated its Siri voice assistant to address questions about COVID-19 and help people find resources to deal with the disease

The update began appearing in Siri over the weekend, and now when you ask the voice assistant if you have the coronavirus, it will respond with a series of yes/no questions about the symptoms based on information supplied to the US Public Health Service

Siri first asks if you have a fever, dry cough, or shortness of breath Depending on your answer, the voice assistant may also ask if you have ever been in contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus symptoms

If you answer "yes" to Siri's question, you will be instructed to seek medical attention immediately If you answer Siri that you are unsure about your symptoms, you will be advised to watch for signs of COVID-19; Siri advises users over 65 with serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or lung disease to contact a medical provider

Siri's Coronavirus feature includes an App Store link to a telemedicine app that promises to "connect you with a medical professional from the comfort of your home" in addition to a basic symptom summary Presumably, the included apps have been vetted by Apple's App Store staff

With incomplete or misleading statements about the pandemic circulating on social media, Apple is only the latest tech company to step up its efforts to provide information about the coronavirus Google just launched its COVID-19 portal, which focuses on education, prevention, and community resources; the Google Assistant app, at least when I tried it on the iOS version on Sunday morning, could also direct me to coronavirus information

Apple's coronavirus efforts don't stop with Siri; the Apple TV Plus subscription service has added a new show, Oprah Talks COVID-19, which features Oprah Winfrey interviewing experts affected by the coronavirus pandemic and others affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and promises to interview them The first episode features an interview with actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Dowle

According to the Apple TV Plus page, Oprah Talks COVID-19 will feature a weekly episode

Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that Apple is donating N95 masks to be used by medical professionals fighting the epidemic These masks are in short supply

Cook said the company would donate "millions" of masks Vice President Mike Pence announced at a press conference on Saturday that the number was 2 million