Covid-19: Searching for Answers

Covid-19 has affected almost every country around the globe and has left everyone looking for the latest information. Below are just some of those who are searching for data:

• Government agencies trying to manage information for the public
• Healthcare organizations trying to keep abreast of the latest research
• Businesses looking for the latest updates on government subsidies and how to properly plan and prepare to reopen
• Parents following information on school closures and how to keep their families safe
• Individuals staying home and trying to navigate through the constant updates and search for products that have become harder to source during the outbreak

For these scenarios and so many more, all of those searching need to be able to access the most current and relevant information.

Norconex has assisted with a couple of projects related to the coronavirus outbreak, so we wanted to share the details for one of those projects.

Covid-19 Content Monitor

Right before Covid-19 emerged, Norconex had built a search testbed for the Canadian federal government departments. The testbed application was used to demonstrate the many features of a modern search engine and how they can be applied to search initiatives across the Government of Canada. As part of this initiative, for Health Canada we had implemented the search using data related to health and safety recalls. 

When Covid-19 hit, it became more important than ever for Health Canada to ensure that the government disseminates accurate and up-to-date information to the Canadian population. Each department has the ongoing responsibility to properly inform its audience, efficiently share new directives and detail how the virus impacts department services. This raised some questions. How do you validate the quality of information shared with the public across various departments? How do you ensure a consistent message?

Norconex was happy to answer when asked for a quick solution to facilitate a remedy for these issues.

By building upon the pre-existing testbed, Norconex developed a search solution that crawls the relevant data from specific data sources. Health Canada employees can search through all data using various faceting options to help find the desired data.  The data is then provided back in a fast, simple-to-use interface. The solution monitors content in both of Canada’s official languages across all departments. Among its time-saving features, the search tool offers the following:

• Automated classification of content
• Continuous detection of new and updated content
• Easy filtering of content
• Detection of “alerts” found in pages so alerts can be verified more frequently to ensure continued relevance

This search and monitoring tool is currently being hosted for free on the Norconex cloud and being accessed by the team at Health Canada daily, saving precious time as they gather the information needed to help keep Canadians safe.