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Popular People Help Experts Predict Flu Outbreak?, Chiehwen Ed Hsu

Chiehwen Ed Hsu

Popular people are the trendsetters of society, especially when it comes to the next flu outbreak, according to preliminary research from Harvard University. The hypochondriac effect may have also exaggerated how predictive the friend group was, says Ed Hsu, associate professor of Public Health Informatics at the University of Texas. Those in the friend group are more likely to know someone who has the flu and hence may be more likely to think (and report) that they are coming down with it themselves.