The recent study, which was published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, analyzed Google web searches to find a link between certain keywords and coronavirus outbreaks across the U.S.
The Mayo Clinic researchers used Google Trends data from Jan.
"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," study author Mohamad Bydon, MD, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, said in a statement.
"Looking at Google Trends data, we found that we were able to identify predictors of hot spots, using keywords, that would emerge over a six-week timeline.".