If you're wondering why I've been posting more than usual the last couple days, it's because I'm home with the flu. When wrapped in blankets and doped up on Sudafed it's a lot easier to futz around on the internet than attempt any actual work.
It turns out that flu levels are at their highest point for the season. I know this through Google's Flu Trends, one of the company's cleverest applications. It seems someone noticed that activity levels of certain search terms correlate tightly with CDC's official flu statistics, but lead CDC's estimates by two weeks. Amazing.
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Pew has a detailed run down on the surge in motivation for information about swine flu. The brief analysis goes on to discuss strategies CDC had put in place to be ready to "pull" audiences in when an infectious disease outbreak occurred:
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by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure
I just got my seasonal flu shot. It was free and my medical center is encouraging everyone to get one. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I didn't feel it at all, but in all honesty, I hardly felt it. They must be using smaller needles these days…
I just got my seasonal flu shot. It was free and my medical center is encouraging everyone to get one. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I didn't feel it at all, but in all honesty, I hardly felt it. They must be using smaller needles these days. Anyway, given that most circulating flu…
This morning, I was made aware (by my better half) of the existence of Google Flu Trends. This is a project by Google to use search terms to create a model of flu activity across the United States. Indeed, the results have been good enough that they were reported in a Letter in Nature [1] back…
Well, if I wish you a speedy recovery, then you'll be posting less...
Get well soon Alex! I MUST get my daily dose of your ant photos! Ha! Seriously, hope you are feeling better soon.
Me too, Alex! Coworkers, others, and I got sick last week. Plus, we're in crunch mode. Ugh! I evne had a free flu shot last November 2008! Must be a new/mutated virus. :(
http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/coldandflu/?st=CA and http://www.weather.com/activities/health/coldandflu/nationalreports/nat… are other good sources. :)