There’s a new way to track the spread of flu in Seattle neighborhoods. The Seattle Flu study has created a new interactive map that shows flu circulation in specific neighborhoods. The tool is designed to help people that live in neighborhoods like Montlake fight the flu with a real-time view of flu circulation.
Now in its second year, the Seattle Flu Study (SFS) is recruiting residents of Montlake and beyond to help researchers better understand the flu and how we can keep our city safer. Participants of all ages can sign up to take part in the study by visiting www.seattleflu.org, or by stopping by one of seven study kiosks located across the city— including those placed throughout the University of Washington.
About the study: Led by the Brotman Baty Institute—which combines the research strengths and capabilities of UW Medicine, Fred Hutch and Seattle Children’s—SFS collects nasal swabs from both healthy people and those with colds to tests for flu. This data is then analyzed to examine how flu viruses and other pathogens are impacting our community. The SFS returns swab results to participants, telling them whether they have the flu and which strain.
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