Your Google Searches Could Shape the Response to the Next Pandemic
Search data holds great potential for predicting the spread of a disease
Even if all you could see of humanity during the pandemic was our internet search data, you’d know something was wrong. Google searches for the word “prayer” have boomed to the highest level ever recorded in a sample of 95 countries, according to a recent preprint.
And Google’s predictive search tool, which offers to complete your query before you’ve finished typing it, seems to have soaked up the pandemic-themed questions and concerns tumbling around people’s heads.
Type “when will” into Google and the first suggested query will likely be along the lines of “when will lockdown end.” “Do I have” prompts “do I have coronavirus.” And “can I” cues up “can I visit my parents,” among others.
Data scientists are digging deep into our search habits in an effort to understand the epidemiology of the current pandemic — and build systems that could provide an early warning about the next one. If such a thing can be engineered, it would flag up unusual search behavior associated with a new outbreak of disease, giving health authorities and governments a chance to respond quickly.
