May 1, 2019

Facebook launches new health support groups

Caitlin Owens

Facebook announced Tuesday that it's creating health support groups where users will be able to ask administrators to post questions on their behalf, Stat News reports.

Our thought bubble, via Axios tech editor Scott Rosenberg: Facebook's "pivot to privacy" has a long way to go to persuade users that the social network is a safe place to share their information.

  • There's plenty of skepticism as to whether this actually alleviates privacy concerns surrounding sharing sensitive health information online.
  • The company will need to recapture people's trust in many smaller ways before they are likely to feel more comfortable about sharing health info, even with a promise of anonymity.

Details: "There are a lot of people with sensitive questions [who] are not comfortable asking a question in a group where they have to tie their identity to that question," said Hema Budaraju, the product management director for health at Facebook.

  • While members of the new group won't be able to see who posted a question, the administrator will be able to see who made the request.

Go deeper: What Facebook knows about you

Go deeper

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

Indians look to Taiwan amid China's coronavirus missteps

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Many Indians are angry at China and the World Health Organization for their perceived mishandling of the coronavirus. The efficiency and transparency of Taiwan's response to the epidemic, in contrast, has made it a topic of renewed sympathy and interest in India.

Why it matters: The coronavirus crisis is showcasing Taiwan's democratic system of governance on an international stage, the biggest soft power win for the country in years.

Go deeperArrow15 mins ago - World
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 1,447,466 — Total deaths: 83,471 — Total recoveries: 308,215 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 399,929 — Total deaths: 12,911 — Total recoveries: 22,539 — Map.
  3. 2020 latest: The results for Wisconsin's primary elections won't be released until April 13. Thousands of residents cast ballots in person.
  4. Federal government latest: The U.S. has begun to see "glimmers of hope" despite its highest recorded number of deaths in 24 hours, Anthony Fauci said.
  5. Public health latest: Surgeon General Jerome Adams highlighted the disproportionate impact the illness is having on African-American communities.
  6. 🚌 Public transit: Systems across the country are experiencing ridership collapse, squeezed funding streams and slow recovery from the pandemic.
  7. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 43 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: Largest 24-hour spike in fatalities

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

New York's death toll from the novel coronavirus surged to its highest one-day total on Tuesday, as the U.S. saw its largest 24-hour spike in fatalities, per Johns Hopkins data. Recorded deaths across the U.S. surpassed 12,900 Wednesday.

Why it matters: Public health officials have warned this would be a particularly deadly week for America, even as New York began to see trends of hospitalizations and ICU admissions decrease.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 48 mins ago - Health