When Google unveiled Flu Trends, the hope was that by tracking search data about the flu, the tool would give public health officials a kind of early warning system for an impending flu epidemic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work all that well, at least for potential pandemics that start outside the U.S., say in Mexico City.
A quick visit to the Flu Trends site today lists U.S. flu activity as low, with current hotspots like New York City and California sparking little interest. Not much of a heads-up there. Helpfully, the site contains a link to the main Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, which offers many links to information about the current Swine Flu, including its symptoms, how to avoid contracting it and reported number of U.S. cases.
But if we were left with just Google’s early warning system, we’d be in trouble. And the tool’s accompanying news links showcase why search isn’t always the best way to find and convey critical information. Among the top news are two items curiously hailing from the financial news sector: TheStreet.com’s Pork Producers Defend Sector and the Wall Street Journal’s Mexico’s Peso Open Sharply Weaker. Weird.
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