There's an app for that: Finding the Facebook friend who gave you the flu

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When they called it the “common cold,” they certainly weren’t kidding. The new year brings about drastic temperature changes nationwide and, along with it, the flu season. Preventing a subscription to the recent bout of influenza requires more than just getting a flu shot. Now that we’re in the mobile age, flu prevention has got its own app, too.


Part of preventing illness is staying away from the causes. A new Facebook app called "Help, I have the flu" determines which friends in one’s social network are likely sources of flu contamination. Then the app warns users to stay away from these friends to prevent them from catching the flu themselves.

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Contrary to Facebook’s reputation for violating user privacy, this information is not obtained in an invasive manner. Instead, the app’s algorithms scan friends’ recent posts for evidence of flu-like symptoms. If any friends have reported sneezing, coughing, or generally feeling ill, they will appear on the app’s watch list, which serves as a warning to the user. True to what friends are for, the app allows users to send potentially infected friends discounts for flu medication. Should the user still contract the flu, there’s a handy list of sources (or people) to blame.



Apps for the flu season
 

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Flu prevention is no new precautionary measure, but an increasing number of mobile apps are aiming to expand its clout. Cross-country travelers can check The Center for Disease Control and Prevention app for the flu situation at their destination and bring medication, if necessary. Those who suffer symptoms but don’t appear to have the flu can consult Cures A-Z for some home diagnosis. While the best flu prevention is still medication and immediate consultation, mobile apps make it easier for individuals to detect potential risk and take the initiative to prevent further infection.



Mobile apps have helped the healthcare industry reach people in need at incredible speed. Former hospital administrator Terry Lambert, formerly of (Emporia), has insights on the advances in the healthcare industry that may be found on this website.

Taboo medicine: The clinical uses of medical cannabis

Medical cannabis is an herb evidenced to have been used for medical purposes as far back as 2737 BC. Though its production, distribution, and consumption is illegal in most countries, it has recently been approved for use in therapy and is one of the “fifty fundamental” herbs of traditional Chinese medicine.

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The FDA has not approved smoking cannabis as the solution to any condition or disease in the United States. It claims this is largely due to the lack of “good quality scientific evidence” for its use. However, several well-documented and known studies have proven the healing effects of medical cannabis. For starters, medical cannabis is a general analgesic. Specific doses are documented to relieve chronic pain that traditional pain medication has been unsuccessful in alleviating. In cancer patients, it is used to stimulate hunger after chemotherapy treatments curb the need to eat. Medical cannabis has also been proven to remove the nausea and vomiting that comes with various cancer and AIDS treatments. More recently, it has been proven to lower intraocular eye pressure, an effective treatment for glaucoma–-an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged, permanently damaging vision and causing blindness if left untreated.

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In 2012, the use of cannabis and “medical marijuana” for medical treatment was put to a vote. To date, 18 states have legalized cannabis for medical use. The usage is limited to prescriptions and is highly regulated, with 16 of the 18 states requiring proof of residency before being considered for cannabis treatments.

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In the 2012 elections, the state of Arkansas voted against making medical cannabis legal. See updates on former Hospital Administrator Terry Lambert alongside the state of healthcare in AR on this website.