Swine Flu on Google Maps
Monday April 27, 2009
I've been reading a lot about swine flu lately. I'm not panicked yet, but it does concern me when I hear there are confirmed cases in my area. If you want an easy way to track swine flu cases, Google user niman has set up a Google Maps mashup that shows the location of confirmed and suspected swine flu cases.
Looking at the map, I can see that the confirmed cases were in my state, but not actually near me. Whew! Keep in mind that this isn't an official map. The information is only as accurate as this mystery user's word.
Another way to track flu trends, including swine flu, is by using Google.org's Google Flu Trends. This site tracks flu rates by tracking related search queries about the flu. It can actually predict flu trends in the US before the CDC does. However, this isn't a site dedicated specifically to H1N1 swine flu.
- Swine Flu FAQ from our Guide to Patient Empowerment, Trisha Torrey
- Things You Didn't Know Google Maps Did
This guy Henry L. Niman is a crackpot, you should trust his map.
Sorry, I did not want to be ironic. You should NOT trust his map.
There’s no full Google profile available for this user. I’ve searched and found several maps, but most of them let everyone contribute. That just seems like a recipe for inflated numbers to me.
Here’s one that claims to use data from the Guardian: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/keir.clarke/swineflu.htm