A new phone app called will tell people when the flu enters a neighborhood. Founder and CEO of Sickweather Graham Dodge says the app uses the public’s help to track when there’s an outbreak of various illnesses from the common cold to the flu.
"In addition to people reporting directly to us, we're able to collect these data in much larger numbers from sites like Twitter," says Dodge.
Dodge says the app can be valuable in helping determine why someone is feeling a little under the weather.
"If their child's fever is more likely to be due to strep or due to flu, or helps them to know when to wash their hands more often," explains Dodge.
Dodge says the app provides an alert when entering an area where there’s been a large of number of verified illnesses reported.
He cites an example of a mother who did just that. "Her son woke up with a high fever -- no sore throat yet, just high fever -- and because she had seen strep was going around through Sickweather, she took him in to get a throat culture, and he tested positive for strep."
The app is currently available on Google Play and the Apple store for free.