Scientists at the University of Rochester have developed a computer model that can monitor the spread of infectious diseases through Twitter posts in real time. This innovation could help in the fight against epidemics, as it would allow the spread of diseases to be quickly and accurately monitored.
The study began with the development of influenza in a large city, where scientists collected information about the symptoms of the disease and analyzed it. As a result of the study, special software was developed that analyzes information and finds tweets from people who report symptoms of their illness via Twitter in messages.
Currently, the trial version of the program has processed 4.5 million messages from 650 thousand New Yorkers. The accuracy of their program forecasts is 90%. This program can give an individual forecast of the disease 8 days before its occurrence and the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease.
Using social media to track the spread of disease is a new and effective approach in medicine. Programs like this can help fight epidemics by alerting people to the possibility of infection and taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
However, such programs raise certain questions in terms of the confidentiality of users' personal information. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with laws and rules for the use of personal information so as not to violate the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Overall, using Twitter to track the spread of diseases is a new and promising approach in medicine that can help fight epidemics and warn people about possible dangers. However, it is necessary to take into account issues of confidentiality of personal information and respect the rights and freedoms of citizens.