Tracking pandemic flu outbreaks
David April 28th, 2009
It can be so difficult to visualize exactly how widespread a health risk is but when you see it plotted on a map relevant to your current location, it suddenly becomes real. Here is the H1N1 Swine Flu plotted on Google Maps. Before you let a growing sense of dread overwhelm you, what can you do? Help get the word out about preparing now while supplies are still available. The Totally Ready blog has some great ideas about how to stay hydrated when you have the flu and setting up a recovery room to limit the spread of the flu when it hits your household. There are other posts about how to prevent getting it in the first place, but you get the idea.
Google Maps was also used with tracking disasters such as earthquake and forest fires. Like any emergency preparedness pursuit, are you prepared to integrate disaster data with a mapping service such as Google Maps or Live Search Maps? A little time to prepare now opens whole realms of possibilities that wouldn’t be available without that preparation.