As the measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 continue, the need for accurate, up-to-date information about the virus is essential. Jean-Pierre Akl, a Management Information Systems student at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), has used this need as a source of inspiration for his senior project. Under the supervision of Dr. Maya Samaha Rupert, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science – Faculty of Natural and Applied Science at NDU, Akl developed the interactive informational website covidleb.info.
Akl’s website provides vital information about the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on Lebanon. Live updates from the Ministry of Public Health and infographics about the most affected locations and demographics are frontloaded on the home page, but Akl has done much more than created a means to track the virus’s spread. covidleb.info also contains constantly updated list of available hospitals, beds and ventilators, a list of insurance companies with COVID-19 coverage, a symptom checker, guidelines for preventing contagion, emergency contacts, and, perhaps most impactful of all, instructions on how to donate to the relief effort.
Akl’s emphasis on usability is clear from the first page, but he has also paid special attention to how his website will be viewed. With the vast majority of websites being accessed on mobile devices, proper mobile support when designing one is crucial to ensuring the information will spread. As a result, covidleb.info is designed with the express intention of being accessible on any device, so that users who prefer using their phones can have an equally complete experience.