One way to possibly track the spread of the swine flu is to look at where spikes in search activity around related terms is occurring. Google already does this with its Google Flu Trends, and has now extended that analysis on an experimental basis to Mexico with a site it just put up called Experimental Flu Trends For Mexico. These maps represent Google’s estimates of actual flu outbreaks based on correlations between search activity and how many of those people are really sick.
This could prove to be an early warning system. Last week, Google detected spikes in flu-related searches in Mexico City, for instance. The darker the region, the more flu search activity is being detected (see map below).
Both Google Flu Trends and the experimental site for Mexico filter out searches that are not consistent with people looking for information about the disease. A broader analysis on the term “swine flu” can be found on Google Insights for Search, which shows the rise in that search term’s popularity over the past few weeks, along with the states where the most search activity is happening. (See map above). This method is less likely to be predictive of the actual spread of the disease because it just measures raw searches.. Nevertheless, the top ten states where people are searching for the term are:
1. Texas
2. Vermont
3. Kansas
4. New Mexico
5. New York
6. Ohio
7. Arizona
8. Illinois
9. Louisiana
10. Colorado
If you click on each state, you can see the top ten cities where searches for “Swine flu” are occurring. For instance, in Texas, San Antonio is showing the most searches. In New York, surprisingly enough, it is not New York City, but Binghamton. These rankings are indexed, however, so it could just be a measure of the relative panic in each city. Compare this to the map showing where people are discussing swine flu on Facebook, where California registers strongest after Texas and Kansas barely at all.
too bad the imaginary pandemic is over. So much for the doom and gloom nonsense coverage by the media over the weekend. Epic Fail.
but it is real problem and scary thing is spreads human-to-human. It went from 20 to 40 to 100 confirmed cases in less than two days. If this continues we see thousands of cases in a month and hundereds of deaths. Why is imaginary?
Cuz it didn’t materialize into a Spanish flu as some of the idiot pundits over the weekend were predicting. Only one death in the US, and the infection rate isn’t exponential, but seems to be tapering off.
Actually, it’s still possible for this new flu to be like the Spanish Flu. This could just be the first wave. The Spanish Flu started off just like this. It was mild summer flu. It wasn’t until the second wave during flu season when the death tolls went up like crazy. If anything I’d be worried come September.
wow u r scarry way u think
at least we know where the virus started…
http://snipr.com/gxinz
I wonder if the Wolfram Alpha Swine Flu page is better.
Ironically, searching ’swine flu shirts’ returns http://flushirt...preadshirts.com. Now that’s a real entrepreneur! Capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how morbid!
So wait a minute. You post a link to a page selling crap, and then you praise the entrepreneur, but you list your Twitter id as @Flushirts?
Um, could it be that you are astroturfing!?
A scenario well within the realm of possibilities!
drug makers are having a field day. los angeles is still waiting to have its first confirmed death from the strain. theres money in this mayhem.
DrugLocator.com – tamifluke anyone?
Were actually posting swine flu preventive measures in our blog http://www.home...-care-blog.html but its for seniors though….
dang. I’m only a Freshman.
This thing has been way blown up though… there’s only been 1 death in texas and the person was mexican O_O;;
Your stats doesnt say anything!
Of course swine flu is a low searched term. The speak spanish!
Try it with “influenza”, “influenza porcina” or “gripe porcina”
Stupidity.
Hundreds of people die of flu, wtf so special about swine flu
Agree. All this doom and gloom overblown http://iamned.com/blog/
Here is the real time heat map of the flu – http://www.umap.../view/id/30340/
“This could prove to be an early warning system. Last week, Google detected spikes in flu-related searches in Mexico City, for instance.”
Only if you know what you’re looking for.
I find this whole search-based swine flu charts rather useless.
I rather use this Google Maps solution:
http://maps.goo...827,360&z=1
LOL @ competing Google products btw.
Sadly, it is not being updated regularly and has lost credibility.
I found it here – http://www.flug...e.net/whale.png
Swine flu on twitter..lol
http://xkcd.com/574/
i dont think search spikes totally relate to the flu pandemic
people might also search for flu out of curiosity
Just take some vitamins and you’ll be ok LOL
https://twitter...com/swine_flu__
there’s also a cool place which gives you real time data on the swine flu
http://www.all1.../swine+flu.html
The CompEpi Research Group at the University of Iowa is conducting a project which explores the correlation between health-related online social activities (e.g. tweets, blog posts, status updates, search queries, …) and health outbreaks, trying also to monitor and capture how people “feel” about those topics.
Here is the press release with some more information
http://compepi....oneriot09PR.pdf
We also created a mashup between Twitter and Google Map to visually show how the public is reacting to swine flu news
http://compepi....uiowa.edu/swim/
If you guys are interested or wants to participate, please feel free to send us an email.
The spread of the flu could be significantly impacted by the weather. See http://www.stor...ity-variations/
I do not thank that is all true because deseases are not caused by the weather most symptoms are cause by other countrys and most times the ordinary cold come from us
Here is an interesting article: http://www.nash...1241025564.html
how heer think we shood ban mescow from the swine flu and we shood invint an scanner just in kase cuz all peple in not intitsint
and runescape.com rulls
And now! in live President’s Speech about Swine flu: http://www.nashville247.tv/
u no wot peple say about the flu theay say we shood nuk mexco
well i say i dont now wot thay giing 2 do with the swine flu
Has anyone noticed that the the swine flu cases seem to follow the same trail used by the drug cartels that are bringing drugs into the USA from Mexico??
No.
haw manny peple think this is going 2 start ww3
(wirld ware 3)
What happened to Twitter being a real time search engine? Find some Twitter search terms people.
May I suggest: “omg I have the swine flu I am twittering from a rural mexican hospital lolz”
As the Obama Virus escalates the best thing we can do is to follow all the precautionary measures laid out by the medical specialists and to use plain medical common sense as we would tackle any virus. The Boatshit Virus will be beat, and we WILL beat it. Yes we CAN. Yes we WILL.
Lately, to track news in real time I’ve been using Very Recent, ie: http://veryrece...opic/swine+flu/
We provide include: North America (NAFTA), South American countries, the EU 27 countries, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Russia and other 248 countries and regions in a variety of Customs bill of lading data, import and export trade (Statistics) data. http://www.customs-data.com.cn
Competitive Intelligence Global Trade System (GT) data contains a large number of buyers and sellers information such as number of transactions prices, both absolute quality so far on any channel (for example, B2B, event, etc.) suppliers and buyers to study the information and products in the the positioning of the global market to provide authoritative and accurate data and reports!
http://www.cust...cn/GRAMERCY-LA/
This is dangerous flu Actually, it’s still possible for this new flu to be like the Bird Flu. This could just be the first wave. The Bird Flu started off just like this. It was mild summer flu. It wasn’t until the second wave during flu season when the death tolls went up like crazy. If anything I’d be worried come September
Questions about the search criteria…
I know Goog is search savvy but are the criteria taking into consideration the number of people possibly NOT searching flu related terms? For instance, in rural areas where I live, a lot of people don’t even have computers not to mention the % of population in Mexico that don’t have a pot to pee in let alone a computer…
And then those who search flu related terms just out of curiosity?
I do find it interesting though, that there was a spike in searches related to flu before the media got hold of it and scared the stuff out of people.
In point of fact, my family came down with something REALLY nasty at the beginning of April. I have never been so sick in my life and in retrospect, the symptoms we had exactly match those of ’swine flu’. I am not saying we had it but I am pretty suspicious that we did.
At the time though, I had not heard anything about swine flu but did search for ‘flu relief’ because I was feeling so bad I would have done just about any nutty thing to feel better.
Anyway, point is, this Google search could be spot on or hogwash depending on how the data are interpreted.
The domain PandemicFlus.com is available for sale or development.
yea here’s another newsblog about facts and updates swine flu / A(H1N1)
http://www.thes...ineflufacts.com