What is FluWatchers?
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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Published: 2023-10-31
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FluWatchers is an online health monitoring platform that helps track the spread of flu and flu-like illness (like COVID-19) across Canada.
Why is FluWatchers important?
- Traditional ways of tracking diseases require a person to see a health care practitioner and get tested
- However, most people with mild flu-like symptoms don’t seek any medical care
- The FluWatchers program captures information on these individuals to get a better sense of flu-like illness in the community
Who can participate?
- Anyone who lives in Canada can participate, and participants can also report on behalf of household members
What do FluWatchers do?
- Volunteers answer a quick and anonymous questionnaire each week on whether they’ve had a cough or fever or were healthy
What data traditional disease tracking provides
- Death
- Severe illness
- Diagnosed illness
What data FluWatchers can provide
- Undiagnosed illness
- Mild illness
- Healthy