Cook Steve

http://Google.org developed a regression model that used the volume of influenza-related search queries best correlated with the proportion of outpatient visits related to influenza-like illness (ILI) model to estimate the level of ILI activity. For calibration, the model used ILINet data from October 2003 to 2009, which report weekly ILI activity as the percentage of patient visits to health care providers for ILI from the total number patient visits for the week. Estimates of ILI in 121 cities were added in January 2010.

Objective

This paper compares estimates of ILI activity with estimates from the Centers for Disease Control’s ILINet from October 2008 through March 2010.