Microsoft, actually, not Apple (although, it's only a matter of time before the iPhone jumps on this bandwagon, I predict) has aligned forces with Emory University to launch an online H1N1 symptom checker.
Known as the H1N1 Flu Response Center, the tool asks a series of questions about how you're feeling. Based on the results, it tells you whether you are likely sick with something else or likely to have the swine flu, in which case you should call the doctor, stat.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just launched a similar tool at its www.flu.gov website called H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation.
The two sites are pretty similar and so are the caveats. The information is meant strictly for people 18 and over and is no substitute for advice from an actual medical professional. So if you're really worried, no matter what, call your doctor.
It's not surprising that the H1N1 scare has sparked these tools. Who among us doesn't plug symptoms into search engines when we're sick, curious to find out what might be afflicting us? But again, Dr. Google, as I like to call this approach, is no substitute for real life medical advice.
The idea behind these new web tools, however, has a real public health implication. The goal is to prevent throngs of people from overburdening emergency rooms, especially when they may not be sick enough to need such attention. If you have a mild illness you can likely stay home and get better on your own, but if you are really ill you may require immediate attention, the folks at HHS remind us.
Flickr photo from el_finco
