Facebook shares first COVID-19 symptom maps, set to expand globally

San Francisco: Using aggregated public data from a survey conducted by Carnegie Mellon University, Facebook on Monday released its first county-by-county map of the US showing prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, adding that such maps will soon be released for other countries globally to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

The US map shows an estimated percentage of people with COVID-19 symptoms, not confirmed cases.

According to Facebook, the maps, which will be updated daily, are meant to help health officials allocate resources and decide where parts of society can be reopened.