BOSTON: Internet searches on gastrointestinal symptoms predicted a rise in Covid-19 cases weeks later, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found, demonstrating a novel early warning system for hot spots of the pandemic disease.
Using Alphabet Inc’s Google Trends online tool, they found the volume of searches correlated most strongly with cases in New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts and Illinois – states with high disease burden – three to four weeks later. Patients with Covid-19 often report gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea, sparking interest in conducting the study.
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