Tag: FLU

That's it, summer's over -- roll on winter and time for flu season. Yes, it's that time of year again, but big G is trying to make dealing with sickness easier using its continued collaboration with the US Department of Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association and flu.gov. This year, like last, if you need a flu shot, Google's at hand with its Flu Vaccine Finder. Just visit ...

Google Trends is a fun way to compare the popularity of search terms, but the technology behind it can also be put to some important uses. Google.org, the nonprofit arm of Google, is using Trends to generate a flu tracker, showing the prevalence of flu outbreaks across America. Flu-related search terms are tracked to estimate when and where the flu happens, with data going back to 2003. The ...

This interesting site focuses on current and local sickness. This Google Maps mashup aims to keep people aware of the illnesses that are going on in their areas by plotting runny noses, coughs, fevers, head aches, muscle aches, and stomach aches. Who is Sick's mission is to provide that sickness information to the public, so they might not have to deal with the hassle of hospitals or doctors. ...

From the world of the weird, here's a download for the paranoid. The Desktop Flu Tracker is a utility that will track influenza outbreaks in the United States, giving a heat map view of the USA according to where outbreaks are occurring. The idea here is to give users a head start in preparing for exposure to the flu, as well as to provide tips to help deal with the flu, and learn the difference ...