Outbreaks Near Me

Project Overview

The Outbreaks Near Me website was developed in response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Outbreaks Near Me analyzes thousands of crowdsourced reports to generate local and national maps of COVID-like-illness. It relies on the general public to participate and report if they or their family members are sick or healthy. Those who are feeling sick are asked to describe their symptoms, recent travel history, and if they have been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

This platform arms public health officials and researchers with real-time, anonymous information that could help end the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent the next one from occurring.

The platform was developed by epidemiologists and software developers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard and a group of volunteers across the technology industry. Outbreaks Near Me is a sister tool of Flu Near You.

Healthcare Context

The coronavirus has been rapidly spreading across the globe. Governments and public health organizations  have been struggling to properly track the spread of disease to prepare health systems. Outbreaks Near Me hopes to fill the gaps in reporting of COVID-19 due to a lack of testing. Many individuals exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, however, are denied access to a test for a variety of reasons. Without mass testing, it is unclear where the outbreaks currently are and therefore difficult to ascertain where it will hit next.