Facebook has unveiled new tools within its Data for Good program to help researchers better and earlier identify Covid-19 hotspots.

Facebook says researchers and nonprofits are already using the tech giant's maps on population movement to understand the coronavirus crisis, using aggregated data to protect people’s privacy.

In a blog post published on Monday, April 6, the social media company said they are adding 1) three new types of Disease Prevention Maps to help inform disease forecasting efforts and protective measures; and 2) a prompt on Facebook encouraging people in the US to participate in a voluntary survey from Carnegie Mellon University Delphi Research Center designed to help health researchers identify Covid-19 hotspots earlier

And the three new Disease Prevention Maps are:

Co-location maps reveal the probability that people in one area will come in contact with people in another, helping illuminate where Covid-19 cases may appear next.

Movement range trends show at a regional level whether people are staying near home or visiting many parts of town, which can provide insights into whether preventive measures are headed in the right direction.

The social connectedness index shows friendships across states and countries, which can help epidemiologists forecast the likelihood of disease spread, as well as where areas hardest hit by Covid-19 might seek support.

Disease Prevention Maps aggregate information from Facebook.

More than 1.3 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, and there have been more than 74,800 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.