Haptik launches WhatsaApp chatbot for novel Coronavirus awareness

Pune: Conversational AI firm Haptik has launched a novel Coronavirus helpdesk, a WhatsApp chatbot that will educate people about the virus and dispel myths around it.

The outbreak has caused panic around the globe and with the number of cases on the rise, the World Health Organization(WHO) has declared the epidemic a global public health emergency.

Given the accessibility of WhatsApp as a medium and people’s preferences to chat, Haptik said that it had built a chatbot called “nCov helpdesk” which can be accessed by sending a WhatsApp message to the number +91 93213 98773.


Based on data available on the WHO website, the bot is trained to answer frequently asked questions on the new coronavirus, the company said in a statement.

Some of these include information on following basic hygiene standards, preventive measures, common symptoms and myths.

Social media and news channels are the primary outlets through which people get to know about the virus. However, it is often difficult to find answers to specific doubts that may persist within a context applicable to them. Moreover, people tend to mass-forward messages they receive without verifying the contents, often leading to false or incorrect information being spread, said the company.

The helpdesk is aimed at reducing this confusion and spreading awareness, it said.