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“Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

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Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#2

Post by jka »

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale:

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20...

Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#3

Post by bentcorner »

jka wrote: post #2

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20... Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

So.. what's going on in Nigeria?

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=NG&q=%22loss%20...

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#4

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

bentcorner wrote: post #3
jka wrote: post #2

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20... Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

So.. what's going on in Nigeria? https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=NG&q=%22loss%20...

Exactly what that trend suggests, most likely. Nigeria has 245k (!!) tuberculosis deaths a year, so it's entirely plausible IMO that they could fail to notice an uncontrolled epidemic of a different pneumonia-causing disease.

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#5

Post by albntomat0 »

bentcorner wrote: post #3
jka wrote: post #2

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20... Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

So.. what's going on in Nigeria? https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=NG&q=%22loss%20...

Loss of smell has been reported in their news, and apparently was trending on Twitter among Nigerians.

"Public health physician, Dr Doyin Odubanjo, has reacted to the growing complaints of loss of smell and taste by Nigerians on Twitter, which has since triggered Coronavirus scare."

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/399665-nigerian...

http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/16/growing-complaints-los...

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#6

Post by xenospn »

jka wrote: post #2

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20... Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

Is it possible a few local newspapers ran the same headline recently?

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#8

Post by jka »

xenospn wrote: post #6
jka wrote: post #2

This trend is even more striking (and perhaps more convincing and verifiable) when you extrapolate it out over a longer time scale: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=%22loss%20... Edit: just to temper this a bit; trends can be misleading and I'm not stating that this query is a robust indicator. It'd be great to figure out how reliable these charts are.

Is it possible a few local newspapers ran the same headline recently?

It's certainly possible, yep - anything leading to increased searches for exactly that phrase.

Can you think of any related phrases to look for and/or ways to check the trend? (nothing is springing to mind here yet)

Re: “Loss of smell” Google search now trending in West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada

#9

Post by bobthepanda »

SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #4
bentcorner wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So.. what's going on in Nigeria? https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=NG&q=%22loss%20...

Exactly what that trend suggests, most likely. Nigeria has 245k (!!) tuberculosis deaths a year, so it's entirely plausible IMO that they could fail to notice an uncontrolled epidemic of a different pneumonia-causing disease.

Interestingly enough, Japan is chalking up success in containment of COVID to its contact tracing system originally developed for TB: https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/japans-contact-tracing-method-...
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