Anosmia-related internet search and the course of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Heliyon

Gerontology and Diabetes Research Laboratory, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Published: December 2021

Background: The current pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China. Although the first case in the United States was reported on Jan 20, 2020 in Washington, the early pandemic time course is uncertain. One approach with the potential to provide more insight into this time course is the examination of search activity. This study analyzed US search data prior to the first press release of anosmia as an early symptom (March 20, 2020).

Methods: Daily internet search query data was obtained from Google Trends (September 20th to March 20th for 2015 to 2020) both for the United States and on a state-by-state basis. Normalized anosmia-related search activity for the years prior to the pandemic was averaged to obtain a baseline level. Cross-correlations were performed to determine the time-lag between changes in search activity and SARS-CoV-2 cases/deaths.

Results: Only New York showed both significant increases in anosmia-related terms during the pandemic year as well as a significant lag (6 days) between increases in search activity and the number of cases/deaths attributed to SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions: There is no evidence from search activity to suggest earlier spread of SARS-CoV-2 than has been previously reported. The increase in anosmia-related searches preceded increases in SARS-CoV-2 cases/deaths by 6 days, but this was only significant over the background noise of searches for other reasons in the setting of a very large outbreak (New York in the spring of 2020).

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8629775PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08499DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

search activity
20
united states
12
search
8
internet search
8
sars-cov-2 reported
8
time course
8
pandemic
5
activity
5
anosmia-related
4
anosmia-related internet
4

Similar Publications

Objective: To explore the interventions for change in oral health behaviour that are effective in improving oral health behaviours in 8 to 18-year-old children during oral health promotion.

Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute framework of evidence synthesis for conducting a scoping review was implemented for the methodology. Included studies related to the objective, measured clinical or non-clinical outcomes, were in English, 2011-2023, and were experimental, observational or reviews.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bioabsorbable internal fixation is a well-accepted modality that is especially suitable for application in craniosynostosis. When first introduced, high rates of adverse tissue reactions were observed that have since been ameliorated with more biocompatible polymer formulations. However, the phenomenon has not entirely disappeared, and such reactions remain vexing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Residents' willingness and awareness to participate in internet+nursing service in China: A meta-analysis.

Medicine (Baltimore)

January 2025

Department of Geriatric Cardiology Nursing, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

Background: The internet + nursing service is an important initiative for implementing the strategy of healthy China and actively responding to the aging of the population. However, the current literature on residents' awareness and willingness to participate is insufficient and presents large variations and limitations. Therefore, this study aims to systematically evaluate the awareness and willingness of Chinese residents to participate in internet + nursing service to comprehensively understand the level of awareness and acceptance of this emerging service model among Chinese residents and to provide strong support for relevant policy formulation and service optimization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. Modified posterior shoulder stretching exercises have been proposed as a treatment method aimed at improving shoulder function and reducing pain in patients with SIS. However, the efficacy of these exercises remains controversial, necessitating a systematic meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate their effectiveness.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A Case of Asymmetric Seizure Termination During an Acute Course of Right Unilateral Electroconvulsive Therapy.

J ECT

January 2025

From the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Center for Behavioral Health, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is commonly done using a 2-channel EEG in order to capture activity from both brain hemispheres, though many institutions may instead opt to utilize a 1-channel EEG, often for reasons of convenience. We present a novel case of asymmetric termination of EEG seizure activity during an acute course of right unilateral ECT, prompting a full neurological workup to investigate potential underlying structural or physiological causative factors. This case assists in informing the necessity of bilateral hemispheric EEG monitoring as well as highlights the importance of searching for undiagnosed or latent neurological dysfunction in certain clinical situations arising during ECT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!