Scientists Now Track CO.VID-19 Spread Through Search Queries On Google

These days, whenever one feels unwell, he or she tends to think of using Google as a health tool to get a diagnosis rather than consulting a doctor. As a result, it's totally not surprising that the sharp increase in Google searches for COVID-19 symptoms correctly matches the epidemic hotspots.

The coincidence, which has been found by a group of experts from Harvard and University College London, was supposed to be the function of a system assisting in health expert’s pandemic track, prediction, and management, as stated by data scientist Seth Stephens Davidowitz on The New York Times. 

It must be clarified that users’ detailed searches are not invaded. Instead, the team is working on data being shared on the preprint server ArXiv which represents the correlation between Google’s total search trends and the current epidemic. 

Actually, this technique is not an entirely new invention because a similar connection between Google search and syphilis outbreak was discovered before. In addition, Stephens-Davidowitz pointed out that doctors also attempted to utilize data from Google to manage swine flu; however, the data was too complicated to be used on account of people’s searching because of fear, not because of being infected. 

Backing up the finding, the Harvard and London scientists’ research on the coronavirus’ impact on the loss of smell has been proven in some countries’ official data. 

While this finding may need a few more extrapolations, it should be considered as a potential help for health officials to track and make better plans for nations that lack or lose data. 

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