Getting the right information is crucial during the pandemic as the country experiences its second wave of COVID-19 infections. In an effort to help people of India, Google Search will now show information panels from authorities about the vaccine and the vaccine drive, make it easy for users to discover vaccination centers, and provide tools that help provide financial assistance to health authorities, organizations and affected communities.
When searching for vaccine information, Google Search will show the latest updates on vaccine safety, efficacy and side-effects. Along with this, there will be information about prevention, self-care, and treatment under the Prevention and Treatment tab.
In addition to the testing centers, people can also access the location of 23,000 vaccination centers nationwide in English and 8 other regional languages.
Another feature that Google Maps is testing is showing if a hospital has beds and access to medical oxygen, based on crowd-sourced information. Naturally, this won’t be a verified source, but it is another point of information that a person can use when searching for such things.
And finally, Google Pay has a COVID aid campaign running where Indians who wish to donate to organisations that help COVID-affected citizens can do so. Some of the organizations featured include GiveIndia, Charities Aid Foundation, Goonj, Save the Children, Seeds, UNICEF India (National NGOs) and United Way.