Once again, Google knows us better than we know ourselves. For years, scientists have pointed to the search giant as a bellwether for predicting flu outbreaks during the winter months as well as other health care episodes based on consumer search behavior. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic says the same is true for COVID outbreaks, and they've identified 10 key Google search terms that can potentially predict an impending outbreak. "Our study demonstrates that there is information present in Google Trends that precedes outbreaks, and with predictive analysis, this data can be used for better allocating resources with regards to testing, personal protective equipment, medications and more," says Mohamad Bydon, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon and principal investigator at Mayo's Neuro-Informatics Laboratory. Related: 'Dr. Google' and the other tech solutions replacing traditional health care In fact, according to researchers, data from Google Trends can be used to find correlations up to 16 days before an outbreak occurs. According to the study's authors, this can give public health experts a jump over testing data and public health reporting, which can be plagued by delays and incomplete information. "If you wait for the hot spots to emerge in the news media coverage, it will be too late to respond effectively," Dr. Bydon says. "In terms of national preparedness, this is a great way of helping to understand where future hot spots will emerge." So what are the 10 key Google search terms? Click through the slideshow above to find out. Read more: |

• Initiative aims to introduce consumers to telehealth during cold and flu season
• Amazon's latest venture: Mining your health care data
• How Google is helping in the fight against COVID-19