A phenomenon of technology, specifically the internet and the searching of it, is that we can report on those searches. In specific, Google does a great job of this reporting..
As it turns out, the fact that people go to the internet before they go to their doctor turns out to be a very reliable source of disease outbreak. Feeling a little achy with a slightly elevated fever? Google it and see what you can do.
And by doing so, you allow Google to track you search and tally it. The result is Google Flu Trends. And based on history and current trajectory, the United States is on the precipice of the season’s influenza outbreak:
In fact, we just now entering the worst month of the flu season. In addition to counting the number of searches, Google is able to track location. And form that data we can see that the flu is hitting the rust belt the hardest right now with Nevada following suit:
The bad news? The flu is coming. The good news? We know it.