People who suspect they may have had Covid-19, or others who are just curious about how many in their community may have had the disease, can now check a coronavirus symptom map to get an idea of what the situation looks like in their area.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) published the Symptom Map on its website on Tuesday. The map draws on information contributed to the Omaolo service, which allows people to submit their symptoms if they feel they have contracted the disease. Omaolo also provides users with suggestions for how to treat their symptoms.
The map itself, which is also available in English, shows the number of people per 100,000 residents who have shared their symptoms in the Omaolo service.
Different views of symptom data
The data can be viewed according to municipality or hospital district. It is also possible to view data for different age groups over a two-week period or a daily total for the entire country or a specific hospital district.
The map does not include municipalities where fewer than five symptoms leading to treatment were reported. It is updated every day at 12pm.
Although the map is based on self-reporting of perceived symptoms, it will mostly be used by the health care sector.
"Symptom data provided by residents themselves will strengthen our understanding of the progress of the epidemic. The symptom-based notifications can forecast the number of future coronavirus cases and the need for care," THL specialist physician Sanna Isosomppi said in a statement.