Analyzing COVID-19 with Google Trends: Turkey and World Case Studies

Year 2021, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 8 - 13, 18.08.2021

Tevfik Bulut

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to analyze the trends of COVID-19 pandemic and relationship levels between these trends and COVID-19 cases by using Google Trends as a big data source in about 14 months including the dates between 2020-01- 01 and 2021-03-21. For this purpose, first, the course of the pandemic depending on Google Trends data generated according to the search terms associated coronavirus has been demonstrated both in the context of Turkey and World. At the same time, daily confirmed cases, and Google Trends data produced using the search terms associated coronavirus were studied in a comparative context of the world and in Turkey. Finally, featured search terms in Google Trend coronavirus pandemic- related sub-search queries has been demonstrated in World and Turkey. The findings obtained in Turkey and world cases have indicated that the trend that Google Trends Hit counts followed was not similar to the one that the number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases followed. Public health search activity data via Google Trends can be used as preliminary evidence for real-time, informative and cost-effective public health policies in public health crises such as COVID-19 pandemic. Such findings can also be compared with statistical data and relationship between them can be revealed.

Keywords

Google trends, COVID-19, Public health, Pandemic, Outbreak

Google Trendler İle COVID-19'un Analiz Edilmesi: Türkiye ve Dünya Vaka Örnekleri

Abstract

Bu çalışmada 01.01.2020 ile 21.03.2021 tarihini içine alan yaklaşık 14 aylık süre içerisinde büyük veri kaynağı olan Google Trends'i kullanarak COVID-19 pandemisinin eğilimleri ve bu eğilimler ile COVID-19 vakaları arasındaki ilişki düzeylerinin analiz edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla, öncelikle koronavirüs verileriyle ilişkili arama terimlerine göre oluşturulan Google Trends verilerine bağlı olarak pandeminin seyri hem Türkiye hem de dünya bağlamında ortaya konulmuştur. Ardından ise günlük onaylanmış koronavirüs vakaları ile koronavirüs ilişkili arama terimleri kullanılarak üretilen Google Trends verileri karşılaştırmalı olarak hem dünya hem de Türkiye özelinde incelenmiştir. Son olarak, Türkiye'de ve dünyada Google Trend koronavirüs pandemisi ilişkili alt arama sorgularında öne çıkan arama terimleri ortaya konulmuştur. Türkiye ve dünya vakalarından elde edilen bulgular, Google Trend Hit sayıları ile günlük onaylanmış vaka sayıları trendinin birbiriyle benzerlik göstermediğini ortaya koymuştur. Aynı zamanda Türkiye ve dünya vakalarında Google Trend Hit sayılarının izlediği dalgalı seyrin aksine günlük onaylanmış vaka sayılarının doğrusal bir seyir izlediği gözlenmiştir. Google Trends üzerinden halk sağlığına yönelik arama faaliyeti verileri, COVID-19 pandemisi gibi halk sağlığı krizlerinde gerçek zamanlı, bilgilendirici ve maliyet etkili halk sağlığı politikaları oluşturulmasında ön bulgu olarak kullanılabilir. Bu tür bulgular aynı zamanda istatistiki verilerle ile karşılaştırılarak aralarındaki ilişki ortaya konulabilir.

Keywords

Google trends, COVID-19, Halk sağlığı, Pandemi, Salgın

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