New Mayo Clinic study reveals strong correlations were found between keyword searches on the internet search engine Google Trends and COVID-19 outbreaks in parts of the U.S.

The Mayo Clinic study searched for 10 keywords that were chosen based on how commonly they were used and emerging patterns on the internet and in Google News at that time.

Strong correlations were found between keyword searches on the internet search engine Google Trends and COVID-19 outbreaks in parts of the U.S., according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. These correlations were observed up to 16 days prior to the first reported cases in some states. The Mayo Clinic study searched for 10 keywords that were chosen based on how commonly they were used and emerging patterns on the internet and in Google News at that time.

The keywords were: COVID symptoms Coronavirus symptoms Sore throat+shortness of breath+fatigue+cough Coronavirus testing center Loss of smell Lysol Antibody Face mask Coronavirus vaccine COVID stimulus check “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.