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GOT CHILLS, ACHES and a fever? If you’re suffering with the flu right now, it might just help to know that you’re not alone.
A new website set up by researchers in NUI Galway is tracking flu-like symptoms across Ireland to create a map of outbreaks around the country.
The website asks people with symptoms – such as a sudden fever, headache, aching muscles and a sore throat – to note them on flusurvey.ie.
People can log on to the site to see how many other cases of flu have been recorded in their area, providing real-time public health information on who is being hit by influenza. The system is also designed to give health professionals an early warning signal about nationwide outbreaks.
Volunteers are asked a few short questions about their age, lifestyle and symptoms, with the information recorded anonymously.
Since it launched just over a month ago, the project has had participants from 42 out of Ireland’s 43 constituencies. Forty-three per cent of the people who have taken part so far are between the age of 15 and 44, while 42 per cent are between 45 and 64. Just 9 per cent are aged 65 or over, possibly reflecting the fact that older people may be less likely to use the internet to note their symptoms.
Map of flu-like symptoms across Ireland. (Pic: Flusurvey.ie)
“Modern technology can transform the way people interact with their physicians, and the wider public health system,” said Dr Jim Duggan, a senior lecturer at NUIG and the project leader.
He said the project will help to show the potential for national self-reporting systems which could be used for monitoring other diseases.
There are plans to arrange for Transition Year students to be able to receive their school’s anonymised data in order to conduct analysis and experiments on how flu-like illness spreads through their community.
The HSE, EU, and NUI Galway collaborated on the website to coincide with influenza season, which typically starts in October and continues until May.
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No worse dose for a man than the “Manflu”,totally debilitating and so severe it’s even worse than giving birth. Thank God it only occurs in the male species because the female species would not be able to cope.When Darwin said survival of the strongest ,he obviously meant men.
A man with a cold is equal to a woman with bubonic plague in terms of whinging about it!
How many people really know the difference between a heavy cold and influenza anyway? I laugh at people who tell me they had “awful flu at the weekend”… The flu doesn’t go in a couple of days!
It’s women who keep harping on about men having man flu is worse then actual having it.
Of course my husband agrees with you.
True, had it myself 20 odd years ago. If you have actual influenza, you bloody well know about it..sore throat is not a symptom of it like it says above. You feel extremely weak and feverish..its horrific
They should set up a Man Flu National Data Base..That strain can be fatal…Its very doubtful they will ever find a cure, We will have to keep suffering in silience…God is good he will help us through . Doctors and medicine have failed us…..
Man flu is the worst kind ever and all women know this
Dunno if anyone has tried to actually register for this, but the register process is a big bag of spanners.
We’ve been trying to register this morning, with two email
Addresses and neither work. One link won’t activate, and the other won’t allow us to login after registering. Think the website has a cold, or a bad sniffle or something.
Knew it! Its all those culchies bringing their dirty viruses into Dublin City. They should be made take a decontaminating shower when they get off the train at Heuston station every morning and then make sure they are segregated from the the Dubs while they are here. Make them wear bells around their necks so we know when they are near so we can avoid them for the benefit of our health. Up the Dubs.
And in other news, rates of STI’s have rocketed in Dublin. http://www.thejournal.ie/gonorrhoea-on-the-rise-in-ireland-1173777-Nov2013/ . Looks like us culchies are better of with our dribbly noses than the Dubs with their dribbly………..
Lol
First we have weather forecasts to make us feel miserable and now this. Awesome :)
What a waste of time. Most people report a common cold as flu and those with flu wouldnt have the energy log into this daft site either-
Sorry couldnt come to work this morning had the flu…
All those in the danger areas should move north……there is no flu there! ( according to your map)
Site did not work for me either. It must have the flu………………………………..
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