Swine Flu News

Tweet

No, I don't have any original reporting to offer. Just wanted to share a tip — if you're looking for the latest breaking news on the flu, check twitter.com. Twitter users are aggregating info on the outbreak using the hashtag #swineflu. Tons of activity there tonight. Not surprisingly, it's one of the top trending topics on the site.

If you've ever wondered how people use Twitter to spread breaking news, click the links above. This is a great case study.

I'm trying to think of a joke about how Twitter itself is an epidemic, but it's not happening. Sorry to disappoint. It's past my bedtime.

UPDATE, 4/27: Several people I know have posted this link — "Swine Flu: Twitter's power to misinform". Definitely an interesting read.

The question of whether we need to somehow alter our global information flows during global pandemics is not a trivial one. A recent New York Times piece highlighted how a growing number of corporations like Starbucks, Dell, and Whole Foods are turning to Twitter to monitor and partially shape conversation about particular brands or products. What the piece failed to mention was that conversations about more serious topics (like pandemics- and their tragic consequences) could be shaped as well. 

I think it's only a matter of time before that the next generation of cyber-terrorists – those who are smart about social media, are familiar with modern information flows, and are knowledgeable about human networks – take advantage of the escalating fears over the next epidemic and pollute the networked public sphere with scares that would essentially paralyze the global economy. Often, such tactics would bring much more destruction than the much-feared cyberwar and attacks on physical – rather than human – networks.

Ok, sure, the Twitter #swineflu tag delivers a lot of useless and unnecessarily alarming information, but if you can sort the signal from the noise, you'll find some things you can use. Two I found yesterday:

A guide to some other online flu-tracking tools, from Mashable.

And a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency Twitter feed. And yes, it's the official CDC Twitter feed. They link to it from their site It'll be interesting to see how they use it.

Incidentally, blogger/homeless activist Morgan Brown is already calling on the Vermont Department of Health, urging them to set up a Twitter account — he sent his request in an email last night to a list of health dept. officials and media types (myself included).

From Morgan's email:

"...if the Vermont Lottery and the Vermont Department of Tourism can have Twitter accounts for what they use them for in order to inform the members of public they are attempting to reach, why not an agency and some of its key departments who handle matters of even graver concern and of a higher priority to all of its citizens, particularly among those who may be most vulnerable to whatever may be the particular case or circumstances at a given time?"

You can follow Morgan's prolific Twitterings here.

UPDATE 4/28:

Ben Truman, the health dept.'s Health Policy and Web Program Coordinator, chimed in with a comment:

Thanks Morgan and Cathy for the attention to the Swine Flu outbreak!

The Health Department does now have a Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/healthvermont

While no cases have been identified yet in Vermont, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has to date reported 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, including in New York City. In the U.S., illness has been relatively mild so far compared to the severe illness reported in Mexico.

In addition to our tweets, you can keep up on the latest news, fact sheets, and health advisories by visiting the Vermont Department of Health web site, and with the CDC at its web site.

Comments

[Molly]

I think hysteria is far more dangerous than the virus itself. People tend to like taking symbolic or apotropaic rather than meaningful action and Twitter tracking is a good example of this. It gives one the illusion of "doing something" without actually doing anything.

Everyone who wants to "do something" should spend some time educating him or herself regarding infection control, disease transmission, the life cycle of viruses, different types of pathogens, and especially hand hygiene.

Getting swept up in fear mongering and cultural hysteria will not protect you. Pick a few credible sources of information and monitor them. And learn how to keep your hands clean for crying out loud! It is the #1 thing you can do to protect yourself from airborne viral pathogens such as influenza.

[Steve Ames]

Thanks Cathy!
It's interesting to watch the 30 posts a second on twitter search because you see the whole bell curve of reaction and response. Both hilarity about the overblown panic response, interesting tidbits, and actual news. I'm glad to see that the tool, twitter, has that broad spectrum. I think a cyber terror threat wouldn't do well because people mostly listen to people they know... or am I in the minority?
Steve
Elmore

[Morgan W. Brown]

Thank you for the quote as well as mention Cathy. Much appreciated!

By the way, for anyone interested in reading a revised version of the e-mail in question, I have blogged it up, here (via Vermont Watch blog).

In addition and, unrelated to the subject matter of this particular blog post, this evening -- on ORCA Media cable access channel 15 in the Montpelier area -- episode 13 of Vermont Blogosphere TV is scheduled to air at 7:00 PM (EDT) of Michael Abadi's interview of yours truly regarding blogging as well as matters I blog about as well as engage in offline as well.

The episode is also scheduled to air again at midnight tonight as well as 1:00 PM tomorrow afternoon, plus this coming Sunday afternoon at 12:30 PM, too.

Mike also informed me that it should begin airing up in the Burlington are next week or so.

[Ben Truman - Vermont Department of Health]

Thanks Morgan and Cathy for the attention to the Swine Flu outbreak!

The Health Department does now have a Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/healthvermont

While no cases have been identified yet in Vermont, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has to date reported 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, including in New York City. In the U.S., illness has been relatively mild so far compared to the severe illness reported in Mexico.

In addition to our tweets, you can keep up on the latest news, fact sheets, and health advisories by visiting the Vermont Department of Health web site: http://healthvermont.gov/, and with the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm.

Vermonters are being advised to stay tuned, and take the following precautions:

• Wash your hands often and well.
• Use alcohol-based hand wipes and gel sanitizers if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away.
• Stay home from work or school and away from others if you are sick.
• If you need medical attention, call your health care provider first.

[Dan Gurzman]

Once again impressed by the quick, proactive work of the VT Dept of Health and by Ben Truman. A great site, now with Twitter, that's a model for other states.

[Morgan W. Brown]

Only just finally came across your latest update to this post as well as Ben's comment, etc., Cathy. thanks again.