Facebook Messenger (commonly known as Messenger) on Thursday launched the Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub to assist prevent the spread of misinformation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Besides helping people to remain connected, the hub also aims to offers tips, authoritative information and other resources about the epidemic, as we practice physical distancing.
"Being physically separated from the people you care about is tough . this is often very true in uncertain times. Messenger allows people to be with friends and family no matter where they’re or what device they’re using. round the world, we’ve seen significant increases in people using Messenger for group calls to remain in-tuned with their loved ones. Globally, 70% more people are participating in group video calls and time spent on group video calls has doubled," wrote Stan Chudnovsky, VP of Messenger.
"Whether it’s a one-on-one conversation with an addict or a video call together with your relatives , Messenger can help keep you connected to your network and help get us through these challenging times."
The hub on Messenger also will suggest activities like "scheduling a virtual play date together with your kids’ friends or connecting with their teachers or other parents for college updates", Chudnovsky wrote. It also can help local community leaders organize group video chats or text groups to support one another amid the crisis.
Additionally, the hub also will show ways to spot false or misleading information about COVID-19, hook up with critical organizations like UNICEF, the planet Health Organization and therefore the Centres for Disease Control to share timely information and answer commonly asked questions on COVID-19, and also suggest measures to avoid online scams associated with COVID-19 treatments or fundraising.
For more information about the new Messenger Coronavirus (COVID-19) Community Hub, you can read here .
Facebook-owned WhatsApp collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and launched a coronavirus pandemic-focused chatbot WHO Health Alert to answer questions from the general public about Coronavirus, and to offer prompt, reliable and official information 24 hours a day, worldwide.