Wake Forest is set to use SneezSafe, an illness tracking website, to stay updated on the possible presence of coronavirus among students in the fall, as disclosed by Athletic Director John Currie in a recent interview with the Old Gold & Black. Explained in the “Our Way Forward Plan,” students will be tasked with self-monitoring their health through the webpage and be given instructions if they show COVID-19 related symptoms. 

According to Sneezsafe’s website, the webpage is the newest product from the company Sneez — which also developed an app under the same name. The app was developed by the Chief Wellness Officer at Wake Forest Baptist Health, Dr. Bill Satterwhite. After its creation in 2016, Sneez was most recently revamped in 2019, as reported by Spectrum 1 News, to track illnesses such as the flu and allergies. Sneez has been working with both Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (since its inception) and Atrium Health (since February 2020, shortly after Wake Forest began working with the hospital system in Charlotte) to track area illnesses. 

Now, SneezSafe has been created solely for use in tracking COVID-19. A recent post on the Sneez website explains that the webpage functions by “using AI-assisted triage and the latest CDC guidelines [and] processes user symptom data instantly, directing users to go on to work or class or to seek further evaluation or care.” 

The webpage will prompt students to fill in information about COVID-19 related symptoms daily with a Daily Wellness Survey, helping the university track the spread of the virus and provide students with information on when to seek medical care or where to get tested for the virus. 

“Our team is comprised of medical professionals, business leaders and technology developers. We understand the importance of a healthy workforce and are uniquely positioned to provide a comprehensive solution during the COVID-19 era and beyond,” Satterwhite said in a website post.