Jean Bousquet1,2,3,4,5,6, Gabrielle L Onorato1, Gilles Oliver7, Xavier Basagana8,9,10, Isabella Annesi-Maesano11, Sylvie Arnavielhe12, Jean-Pierre Besancenot7, Isabelle Bosse13, Philippe J Bousquet14, Denis André Charpin15, D Caillaud16, Pascal Demoly17, Philippe Devillier18, Eve Mathieu-Dupas12, Jean-François M Fontaine19, Jocelyne Just20, Josep M Anto8,9,10,21, João Fonseca22,23, Uwe Berger24, Michel Thibaudon7. 1. MACVIA-France, Fondation partenariale FMC VIA-LR, Montpellier, France. 2. INSERM U 1168, VIMA: Ageing and Chronic Diseases Epidemiological and Public Health Approaches, Villejuif, France. 3. UMR-S 1168, Université Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny le Bretonneux, France. 4. Euforea, Brussels, Belgium. 5. Comprehensive Allergy Center, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 6. Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany. 7. RNSA (Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique), Brussieu, France. 8. ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain. 9. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain. 10. Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain. 11. Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases, Department Institute Pierre Louis of Epidemiology and Public Health, INSERM and Sorbonne Université, Medical School Saint Antoine, Paris, France. 12. KYomed INNOV, Montpellier, France. 13. Allergist, La Rochelle, France. 14. EPAR U707 INSERM, Paris and EPAR UMR-S UPMC, Paris VI, Paris, France. 15. Clinique des bronches, allergie et sommeil, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France. 16. Service de pneumologie, CHU et université d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France. 17. Department of Respiratory Diseases, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France. 18. Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Respiratoire UPRES EA220, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin, Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Foch, Suresnes, France. 19. Allergist, Reims, France. 20. Allergology Department, Centre de l'Asthme et des Allergies Hôpital d'Enfants Armand-Trousseau (APHP), Paris, France. 21. IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. 22. CINTESIS, Center for Research in Health Technology and Information Systems, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 23. MEDIDA, Lda, Porto, Portugal. 24. Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Aerobiology and Pollen Information Research Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Google Trends (GTs) is a web-based surveillance tool that explores the searching trends of specific queries via Google. This tool proposes to reflect the real-life epidemiology of allergic rhinitis and asthma. However, the validation of GTs against pollen concentrations is missing at the country level. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we used GTs (a) to compare the terms related to allergy in France, (b) to assess seasonal variations across the country for 5 years and (c) to compare GTs and pollen concentrations for 2016. METHODS: Google Trends queries were initially searched to investigate the terms reflecting pollen and allergic diseases. 13- and 5-year GTs were used in France. Then, 5-year GTs were assessed in all metropolitan French regions to assess the seasonality of GTs. Finally, GTs were compared with pollen concentrations (Réseau National de Surveillance en Aerobiology) for 2016 in seven regions (GTs) and corresponding cities (pollen concentrations). RESULTS: The combination of searches for "allergy" as a disease, "pollen" as a disease cause and "ragweed" as a plant was needed to fully assess the pollen season in France. "Asthma" did not show any seasonality. Using the 5-year GTs, an annual and clear seasonality of queries was found in all regions depending on the predicted pollen exposure for spring and a summer peak but not for winter peaks. The agreement between GT queries and pollen concentrations is usually poor except for spring trees and grasses. Moreover, cypress pollens are insufficiently reported by GTs. CONCLUSIONS: Google Trends cannot predict the pollen season in France.
BACKGROUND: Google Trends (GTs) is a web-based surveillance tool that explores the searching trends of specific queries via Google. This tool proposes to reflect the real-life epidemiology of allergic rhinitis and asthma. However, the validation of GTs against pollen concentrations is missing at the country level. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we used GTs (a) to compare the terms related to allergy in France, (b) to assess seasonal variations across the country for 5 years and (c) to compare GTs and pollen concentrations for 2016. METHODS: Google Trends queries were initially searched to investigate the terms reflecting pollen and allergic diseases. 13- and 5-year GTs were used in France. Then, 5-year GTs were assessed in all metropolitan French regions to assess the seasonality of GTs. Finally, GTs were compared with pollen concentrations (Réseau National de Surveillance en Aerobiology) for 2016 in seven regions (GTs) and corresponding cities (pollen concentrations). RESULTS: The combination of searches for "allergy" as a disease, "pollen" as a disease cause and "ragweed" as a plant was needed to fully assess the pollen season in France. "Asthma" did not show any seasonality. Using the 5-year GTs, an annual and clear seasonality of queries was found in all regions depending on the predicted pollen exposure for spring and a summer peak but not for winter peaks. The agreement between GT queries and pollen concentrations is usually poor except for spring trees and grasses. Moreover, cypress pollens are insufficiently reported by GTs. CONCLUSIONS: Google Trends cannot predict the pollen season in France.
Authors: Igor Kaidashev; Halyna Morokhovets; Viktoriia Rodinkova; Lawrence DuBuske; Jean Bousquet Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2020-09-30 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: A Bédard; X Basagaña; J M Anto; J Garcia-Aymerich; P Devillier; S Arnavielhe; A Bedbrook; G L Onorato; W Czarlewski; R Murray; R Almeida; J A Fonseca; J Correia da Sousa; E Costa; M Morais-Almeida; A Todo-Bom; L Cecchi; G De Feo; M Illario; E Menditto; R Monti; C Stellato; M T Ventura; I Annesi-Maesano; I Bosse; J F Fontaine; N Pham-Thi; M Thibaudon; P Schmid-Grendelmeier; F Spertini; N H Chavannes; W J Fokkens; S Reitsma; R Dubakiene; R Emuzyte; V Kvedariene; A Valiulis; P Kuna; B Samolinski; L Klimek; R Mösges; O Pfaar; S Shamai; R E Roller-Wirnsberger; P V Tomazic; D Ryan; A Sheikh; T Haahtela; S Toppila-Salmi; E Valovirta; V Cardona; J Mullol; A Valero; M Makris; N G Papadopoulos; E P Prokopakis; F Psarros; C Bachert; P W Hellings; B Pugin; C Bindslev-Jensen; E Eller; I Kull; E Melén; M Wickman; G De Vries; M van Eerd; I Agache; I J Ansotegui; S Bosnic-Anticevich; A A Cruz; T Casale; J C Ivancevich; D E Larenas-Linnemann; M Sofiev; D Wallace; S Waserman; A Yorgancioglu; D Laune; J Bousquet Journal: Clin Transl Allergy Date: 2020-12-09 Impact factor: 5.871
Authors: Bernardo Sousa-Pinto; Jaana I Halonen; Aram Antó; Vesa Jormanainen; Wienczyslawa Czarlewski; Anna Bedbrook; Nikolaos G Papadopoulos; Alberto Freitas; Tari Haahtela; Josep M Antó; João Almeida Fonseca; Jean Bousquet Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2021-07-06 Impact factor: 5.428