Global internet search trends related to gastrointestinal symptoms predict regional COVID-19 outbreaks

BackgroundReal-time surveillance of search behavior on the internet has achieved accessibility in measuring disease activity. In this study, we systematically assessed the associations between internet search trends of gastrointestinal (GI) symptom terms and daily newly confirmed COVID-19 cases at both global and regional levels.MethodsRelative search volumes (RSVs) of GI symptom terms were derived from internet search engines. Time-series...