Think you have the swine flu? Click here... and here
Got a bad cough, sore throat and an awful fever? Having pain in your chest and trouble breathing? Think it could be the swine flu? Well, like everything in this digital age, there's an app for that. Almost.
Microsoft, actually, not Apple (although, it's only a matter of time before the iPhone jumps on this bandwagon, I predict) has aligned forces with Emory University to launch an online H1N1 symptom checker.
Known as the H1N1 Flu Response Center, the tool asks a series of questions about how you're feeling. Based on the results, it tells you whether you are likely sick with something else or likely to have the swine flu, in which case you should call the doctor, stat.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just launched a similar tool at its www.flu.gov website called H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation.
The two sites are pretty similar and so are the caveats. The information is meant strictly for people 18 and over and is no substitute for advice from an actual medical professional. So if you're really worried, no matter what, call your doctor.
It's not surprising that the H1N1 scare has sparked these tools. Who among us doesn't plug symptoms into search engines when we're sick, curious to find out what might be afflicting us? But again, Dr. Google, as I like to call this approach, is no substitute for real life medical advice.
The idea behind these new web tools, however, has a real public health implication. The goal is to prevent throngs of people from overburdening emergency rooms, especially when they may not be sick enough to need such attention. If you have a mild illness you can likely stay home and get better on your own, but if you are really ill you may require immediate attention, the folks at HHS remind us.
Flickr photo from el_finco
Comments
Interesting post, Kelly! It made me quite curious, so I went to take the test for myself, just to see what it was all about. While I understand why they think this test could be a good idea, I think it will only end up adding fuel to this mass hysteria fire surrounding H1N1. Here's why....
Like the nerd that I am, I took the test about 10 times, providing different answers each time. I was trying to find out what the criteria were for a flu diagnosis. Basically, if you say that you have had a fever or feel like you've had a fever, and you have a sore throat and cough, they tell you that you "probably have the flu." If you answer yes to any other of the symptoms (dizzy when standing, vomiting, chest pain, etc.), they tell you that you "probably have the flu and could be very sick" and that you should seek medical attention immediately.
There are a lot of questions on the test, but it seems the fever and sore throat questions are the deciding ones. It seems a bit misleading to tell someone who has a fever and a sore throat that they "probably have the flu." In fact, a fever and sore throat could be caused by any number of things. Granted, some of these possibilities including strep throat, tonsillitis, or bronchitis could definitely warrant a visit to the doctor. But fever and sore throat/cough could also be caused by the common cold or other type of virus, in which case it wouldn't be necessary to go to the doctor.
So, long story short, I think this test may make people worry unnecessarily and only add to the problem that this quiz is trying to avoid--- people flooding hospitals thinking they are sick with the flu. Use common sense! If you have a persistent fever or cough or other serious symptom, go to the doctor. Don't waste your time taking a quiz!
Posted by: ScienceNerd25 | October 9, 2009 5:18 PM