Googling helps track flu season activity

ATLANTA, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A computer model based on online searches about the flu can offer real-time weekly levels of flu activity, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta reports.

The application, "Google Flu Trends," launched last week and the research behind the tool was published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Jeremy Ginsberg said he and fellow researchers used data from vast numbers of Google search queries to track flu-like illnesses in the United States. They found the frequency of certain searches correlates with trips to the doctor where a patient presents flu-like symptoms.

This correlation between Google searches and doctor's visits makes it possible to estimate accurately weekly levels of flu activity with only a one-day lag time, researchers said.

The authors said they believe the data would be useful as a way to spur more investigation and collection activity data.