New Delhi, April, 2020: In a bid to comfort people and address queries related to COVID-19 or Coronavirus, Likee recently joined hands with legendary cricketer Yuvraj Singh-backed Healthians, which is one of India’s largest doorstep health test providers. Doctors and medical professionals got on board the pioneering global short video creation platform by Singapore-based BIGO Technology Pte Ltd to leverage its vast reach to equip people with relevant information as well as bust myths related to the global pandemic. The collaboration established that a synergy between social media platform and a healthcare provider can help people during an unprecedented medical emergency such as COVID-19.
Under the partnership, 5 medical experts from Healthians along with 3 doctors from Mumbai held 8 live broadcasts on Likee between March 25 and April 1. The broadcasts were watched by more than 8.2 lakh people across the country, receiving 1.6 million likes. The doctors and nutritionists associated with Healthians interacted with Likers and answered all their queries related to the dreaded virus outbreak. Seizing the opportunity, the medical professionals also provided valuable tips for wellbeing and raised awareness about the pandemic. For instance, they explained that instead of washing just the palms, we should wash our hands till elbows to ensure that there’s no trace of droplets/germs.
The team of Healthians further answered several coronavirus-related FAQs such as how to differentiate between a normal flu and coronavirus, or technical details about the origin and spread of the novel virus. Queries related to Covid-19 tests and costs associated were also shared by the Healthians during the live sessions. Healthians co-founder Mr Deepak Sahni, Dr Pranava, Dr Deepak Parashar, Dr Om Patil and nutritionist Saumya Shatakshi interacted with Likers during the interactive sessions.
Abhishek Dutta, Head of Likee India, said, “Social media has evolved into platforms that have deeper connections with its users today. The content generated over the internet is key, and as a platform, it is our responsibility to enable our users to access details from highly trusted sources only. Our partnership with Healthians is a joint effort of both in providing the right guidance and assistance during the ongoing medical crisis.”
The outbreak of COVID-19 is a testing time for everyone, and common people are baffled with the crisis at hand. With online platforms as the primary source of information, people are exposed to a humongous amount of information related to COVID-19 from reliable and unreliable sources as well. The fear of the virus, along with rumours or myths circulating on the internet, is a deadly combination. Hence, responsible platforms such as Likee and Healthians are devising strategies to ensure that the right set of information is sourced and directed to people for safety and mental comfort.