Coronavirus Tracking: Website Helps Communities Identify Virus Hot Spots
BOSTON (CBS) - Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have launched a website that can help communities track the spread of COVID-19. The website CovidNearYou.org uses crowdsourced data to create maps allowing people and public health agencies to identify virus "hot spots."
Epidemiologist Kara Sewalk is one of the researchers who developed the website. "We saw a huge need in January and February to use this type of data."
The website is based off of a system already in place at Boston Children's. Flu Near You was launched back in 2012 to help better understand the spread influenza during flu season.
The information is collected from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. Users are able to select from a list of symptoms they may be experiencing, to determine in they have COVID-like illness. "We don't provide any diagnosis on the COVID Near You tool," says Sewalk, "it's more for tracking symptoms related to COVID."
According to the CDC, symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath but the website allows users to share other symptoms as well. "It's a really strict definition of what a COVID-like illness is," Sewalk said. "However, we know from reports from physicians on the ground that many patients are experiencing symptoms beyond those three."
Among the other symptoms being tracked, "loss of sense of smell, loss of appetite, stomach pains."
One issues happening around the country is the lack of testing, says Sewalk. This website allows people to provide data about their symptoms, that can better help public health agencies. "A lot of the information we have around COVID is from those who are getting tested, who are going to the hospital, who are going to the emergency room, and we know a ton of people across the United States and across North America that aren't seeking medical attention but we can capture in this data set here."
On the covidnearyou.org website, users can see where cases have been reported by other users on an interactive map.The data provided voluntarily by users on COVIDNearYou.org is stored on a server at Boston Children's Hospital. "We're not collecting any information about your specific address, or your name or anything like that," said Sewalk.
The researchers hope to be sharing data with public health officials as early as this week. An optional text system is also in the works that will help follow up with people who submitted symptoms to the website. It will allow those who opt in to receive COVID-related information about where they live.
