A growing body of research is using internet data to monitor public health. Amazon reviews of scented candles are one unlikely source
academic papers start off as a joke. But Nick Beauchamp, of Northeastern University, in Massachusetts, was inspired by some light-hearted Twitter threads during the. People were posting screenshots of negative reviews for Yankee Candles in which disgruntled buyers complained that they could not smell the scented candles. Wags online quipped that the reviewers probably had covid-19, which counts loss of smell as a symptom. Mr Beauchamp set out to see if the viral joke had an empirical punchline .
The Twitter jokesters had a point. Mr Beauchamp found that for every 100,000 new cases reported in America per week between the outset of the pandemic and the emergence of the Omicron variant in 2021, “no-smell” reviews increased by a quarter of a percentage point one week later . Research on perfume reviews yielded similar results.
His findings add to a growing body of research that uses internet data to track public health. This form of tracking has been used in public health since the late 2000s, but academic interest has grown since the pandemic began. Previous attempts have had limited success. For example, Google’s Flu Trends programme, which ran from 2008 to 2015, attempted to predict flu cases by studying search patterns on its site. But the system was prone to inaccuracies.
As at-home testing for the virus has become commonplace, fewer people are registering their cases in official databases. That is hampering authorities’ ability to. Models that look for online behaviour linked to covid-19, such as a spike in food orders in a particular neighbourhood or searches for symptoms, are becoming more relevant. Researchers are using the statistical models to warn of potential future outbreaks of covid when they are still in their infancy.
Although Mr Beauchamp’s candles can hint at the spread of covid, they cannot display the full magnitude of its transmission. But as data to track the virus becomes increasingly sparse, a variety of indirect signals may at least offer some guidance.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Martin Compston in new thriller 'The Rig' as trailer drops for Amazon Prime showThe Greenock born actor will be back on our screens shortly alongside a Game of Thrones and Schitt's Creek star. Here is all you need to know from release date to where to watch.
Consulte Mais informação »
Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor boss to leave Netflix for another streamerAmazon has signed them up.
Consulte Mais informação »
.NET open source is 'heavily under-funded' says AWSAmazon web arm investing in Microsoft's platform to help customers escape Windows
Consulte Mais informação »
World Cup Winner predictor: Win a £100 Amazon gift cardAs part of our big Belfast Live Christmas giveaway we're giving away a £100 Amazon gift card
Consulte Mais informação »
Ten-Year-Old Wisconsin Boy Accused of Killing Mom Because She Wouldn't Buy Him a VR HeadsetFamily members said he logged into his mother’s Amazon account and ordered an Oculus Virtual Reality Headset the morning after she died, according to charging documents.
Consulte Mais informação »