Google Flu Trends aims to measure flu activity in real-time by using aggregate web searches, tracking when Google users search for flu-related terms. The tool was launched in 2008, and claims to be more immediate and time-conscious than official reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The original model did not use CDC flu data for estimation during the season, but the new model will integrate this data into the model to reduce the margin of error.
“We do hope it can help alert health professionals to outbreaks early, and in areas without traditional monitoring, and give us all better odds against the flu,” Google said in a news release.
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