Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Social Media

Does social media interest in disease correlate with actual infection patterns?

Social media data can allow public health officials to monitor information, detect potential outbreaks, forecast disease trends, monitor emergency situations and gauge disease awareness and reactions to official health communications.

The WHO has recommended TLD as the preferred first-line HIV treatment for adults and adolescents as it rapidly suppresses the virus that causes AIDS
The WHO has recommended TLD as the preferred first-line HIV treatment for adults and adolescents as it rapidly suppresses the virus that causes AIDS - Copyright AFP STR
The WHO has recommended TLD as the preferred first-line HIV treatment for adults and adolescents as it rapidly suppresses the virus that causes AIDS - Copyright AFP STR

Some natural and social scientists use social media information to make informed decisions about medical trends. This includes what people are tweeting about (or accessing BlueSky) and what they are searching for via browsers like Edge and Google.

While the correlation between social media interesting and disease prevalence is not always strong or as revealing as might be hoped, there are some commonalities that at least suggest where medical attention should perhaps be directed. Here, the epidemiological value of social media applications includes surveillance of information, disease syndromes, and events (outbreak tracing, needs or shortages during disasters).

Or it may be there is misinformation that needs a response by authorities? Social media platforms have drawn criticism in the past for propagating misinformation and crowding out of public health communication.

To illustrate this, a recent review has looked at the UK and how interest in viral disease fluctuates across different cities.

For instance, the review found the city that is most concerned about viruses is Manchester, which recorded the highest number of searches per 100,000 people for various virus types. Does this mean Manchester has a higher number of viral infections? Does it infer social norms have created a perception of potential infection risks? Or is this all coincidental and the social media engagement has no bearing on actual or potential health concerns?

How about Birmingham, the largest city by population, which logged the highest total number of virus-related searches overall? What does this concern among its residents actually mean?

The findings for Manchester and Birmingham arise from a recent study by Drug Testing Kits UK, a firm that has has analysed online search behavior to identify and rank UK cities based on interest in major viral diseases.

The research focused on search volumes for selected viruses, including Mpox, Marburg, Epstein-Barr, Zika, and HMPV, to highlight cities where residents exhibit the highest levels of concern or curiosity about these health issues.

The Internet search data was gathered using keyword analysis tools and standardized by calculating searches per 100,000 people using population data from official demographic statistics. This metric allowed for a fair comparison across cities of different sizes.

The study ranked cities based on this standardized metric and focused exclusively on search behavior as an indicator of public interest without considering additional factors such as healthcare access or economic data.

Findings summary

RankCityMpoxMarburgEpstein BarrZikaHMPVTotal Searches
1Manchester25.5K48K14.8K20.2K44K152.5K
2Edinburgh21.8K57K20.9K25.8K20K145.5K
3Plymouth21.8K10K10.9K15.8K19K77.5K
4Oxford4K10.1K5.1K6.7K17K42.9K
5Leeds18.2K49.4K19.5K14.4K10.2K111.7K
6Swindon6.5K9.8K8K15.6K3.4K43.3K
7Glasgow31.9K10.5K56.5K15.3K20.2K134.4K
8Aberdeen5.2K19.6K2K6.7K7.7K41.2K
9Birmingham57.9K31.4K20K21.6K60.2K191.1K
10Norwich5.1K2.8K21.5K7.1K4.5K41K

As reflected in the table, Manchester tops the list with 153,000 total queries and 38,000 searches per 100,000 people, reflecting the highest level of concern about viral diseases in the UK. Residents actively look up information particularly about HMPV (44,000) and Marburg virus (48K,000).

Edinburgh ranks second with 146,000 overall searches. The Marburg virus sparked the most curiosity in the city, accounting for 57,000—the highest across all UK cities. Plymouth ranks third, with 77,500 people browsing for information regarding viruses.

Oxford follows in fourth place with 43,000 searches. While its total search volume is lower than that of larger cities, Oxford’s residents seem particularly concerned about the HMPV virus.

Ranking fifth, Leeds residents performed 111,000 queries. The city stood out for its strong focus on the Marburg virus, with 49,000 queries, making it the second-highest city for interest in this virus. Swindon places sixth with 43,000 searches, and shows a relatively balanced interest across multiple viruses.

Glasgow comes in seventh, with 134,000 people turning to online resources. The city has the highest interest in the Epstein-Barr virus across the UK, which sets Glasgow apart from the other cities on the list. Aberdeen is eighth, where the Marburg virus dominated its inquiries.

Birmingham ranks ninth and leads in overall activity with over 191,000 queries. Its large population drove significant interest in the Mpox virus and HMPV virus, far surpassing other cities in volume. Norwich rounds out the top ten. Unlike other cities, Norwich’s focus is concentrated on the Epstein-Barr virus, a distinct area of concern for its residents.

How signiifcant are these patterns? Epidemological information and demographic trends,in time, will reveal the vaue of such inquiries.

For advocates of digital social media, many platforms are increasingly harnessed for public health by scientists.in addition, applications can be used as communication tools to disseminate disease risks and interventions and to promote healthy lifestyles and health policies.

There is also the potential use of social media as data sources for public health surveillance.

Avatar photo
Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

You may also like:

Entertainment

Teen singers Jolie Rose Wasserman and Robert Levey II performed at Joanne Trattoria in the Upper West Side of New York City on Thursday,...

Entertainment

Joy Behar, Tovah Feldshuh, Susie Essman, and Adrienne C. Moore star in the new play "My First Ex-Husband," which is being performed at the...

Social Media

Eisenberg took a broadly sympathetic view of the Silicon Valley billionaire when playing him in the David Fincher-directed movie.

World

US President Donald Trump's executive order against the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeks asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees and their...