Instead of constantly pulling out the corona quick tests, which are annoying for many, WhatsApp users in Buenos Aires have recently been able to have themselves checked for any infection via Messenger, like “Netzwelt.de”. reported. All users have to do is send a voice message to a WhatsApp number, coughing for a few seconds.
The recording is then analyzed by an artificial intelligence called IATos and compared with the coughing sounds of infected people. If the AI detects a cough match, the caller is advised to take a real test either themselves or at a nearby test center.
According to the Argentine city, the AI was fed with around 140,000 voice recordings in advance in order to ensure the highest possible accuracy in the WhatsApp tests.
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The first tests of the AI were very positive: With around 2,700 recordings, the software advised 554 people to take a Covid test. Of these, 436 people were actually infected with Corona, which corresponds to a success rate of around 78 percent.
Of course, in the end, the WhatsApp voice message may never reach the accuracy of a real PCR test. Nevertheless, it could provide relief in the test systems and at the same time make the available capacities in the test centers a little more efficient.