Recognize virus around you through phone

Cell phones, in particular smartphones, have become the go-to tool for crowdsourced data studies. First responders can see how many people are in an area during an emergency by looking at relay antenna activity and researchers are developing ways to turn smartphones into crowd-based earthquake detectors and air quality sensors. It makes sense — most of us carry one around everywhere we go and they’re loaded with GPS and other sensors that can provide scientists with plenty of data.

What all of these purposes have in common is human health and safety, so it only seems natural that scientists would start to tap cell phones for tracking the spread of illness, in this case, the flu.