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

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

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.