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Google releases experimental flu trends data for Mexico

Miscellaneous, Networking & Internet / By /

Last Nov, we noted that Google was using search data to explore flu trends in the US. With the outbreak of the swine flu (sorry, H1N1 influenza), Google has decided to release new search data to health officials and the public.

This search data shows flu trends for Mexico. Note the word ‘trends’. We should re-emphasize what Google is saying and note that this is useful for modeling what’s happening and studying the situation, but not necessarily an accurate predictor of what’s to happen.

Google using search data to explore flu trends in the US

Miscellaneous / By /

In a cool use of search data, Google’s philanthropic arm is tracking queries on illness and correlating it with geolocation data to trend flu activity in the US. The idea here is to try to predict flu trends faster than the CDC normally does based on their methodology. Google in turn works with the CDC to make this data available and useful.

You can find out how this all works by visiting Google’s Flu Trends site.

BTW, you can even download the raw data and toy with it yourself if you’d like.

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