Apr
27
Using Technology To Track the Swine Flu
April 27, 2009 | Tagged google map, swine flu, technology tracking, wiki | Leave a Comment
Over the weekend everyone seemed to be talking about the Swine Flu; my family, friends and even people I ran into at the local grocery store. The funny thing was that everyone had there own story about it. Someone always seemed to “know” more about the Swine Flu, its origins, how it spreads, how many people have been infected and even something about how this is the start of an apocalyptic “dawn of the dead” start of our future. I, usually being a skeptic about things people “hear or read” asked where they got their information from. Most family and friends claimed their answers came from the news and newspapers. However, there are always those few family members and friends who say stuff like “they said” but never know who “they” are.
Technology, the Internet or the Web, can be a great resource for gathering information regarding this worldwide concern about the Swine Flu. However, we must remember that not all information on the Internet or the Web is accurate and therefore we must learn how to decipher what is true and what isnt; one of the many things we must teach our students when it comes to information gathered online.
Lucky for us cnet news’ Don Reisinger has put together a list of online resources that will provide us with much information about the swine flu and other information regarding this outbreak. Here are just a few he recommends…click on Read More at the bottom of this list for more information.
The Centers for Disease Control : The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the best swine flu resource on the Web. You can learn about the outbreak of the flu and find key facts that help you understand it. There’s a video podcast by a physician, giving you in-depth information about the flu’s signs and symptoms, how it’s transmitted, and steps you can take to protect yourself. This should be your first stop.
Flu Wiki : The Flu Wiki from Wikia helps you learn about influenza. From its symptoms to its varied strains, the site provides a wealth of knowledge on just about any flu topic. It also has a swine flu wiki page that, while helpful, could be more in-depth. But since the swine flu is somewhat similar to other influenza strains, the Flu Wiki will still come in handy.
Google Maps swine flu outbreak map: The swine flu outbreak map helps you find every known instance of the swine flu around the world. The map also provides information on the current state of the ill person. It will be continuously updated, so you can track it each day. But like following minute-by-minute stock market fluctuations, we don’t recommend dwelling on this site.
… Read more
Now if for some reason this swine flu does somehow turn out to be a freakish disease that turns everyone into flesh eating zombies and you want to stay alive; you can always purchase The Zombie Survival Guide.
