Google's new virtual clinical research app allows users to volunteer as participants in medical research. Volunteers must submit personal data and answer a questionnaire. Google will partner with Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital on its first study, which will focus on respiratory infections like influenza and the novel coronavirus.

The app is intended for researchers, who can use the technology to locate needed study participants. Through the removal of some barriers to entry, Google aims to provide a large and diverse population of potential study participants.

Volunteers are required to report any symptoms, preventive measures, and medical information such as test results using the app. Scientists hope to learn more about how respiratory infections evolve and spread through communities, as well as examine how age and different daily living activities contribute to a patient's risk profile.

Regarding privacy concerns, participant data will be encrypted, and volunteers may control...

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