Travel Health: Sickweather App Tracks, Maps Reports of Illness so Travelers can Prepare

Sickweather, a Baltimore-based company, provides online reports and an iPhone app that scans social networks for indicators of illness, and maps real time data on more than 23 different symptoms and illnesses. Sickweather launched their beta website in November 2011, and now qualifies over 600,000 reports of illness each month.

Sickweather uses a patent-pending process to track and map reports of illness on Twitter and Facebook. The forecast represents the top trending illnesses reported in any given area. The maps may show clusters of activity as represented by orange polygons, or individual reports as represented by blue “SICK” map markers.

A recent report for the New York area showed “Common Cold, Fever, and Cough are going around in New York.  Reports of Cough are on the rise” and provided animated 5-day Common Cold Map; animated 5-Day Fever Map; and Animated 5-Day Cough map.

In 2012, Sickweather was recognized among “100 Brilliant Companies” by Entrepreneur Magazine and featured on the Today Show for successfully identifying the early start of the 2012 Flu Season 6 weeks before the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). For more information, visit: www.sickweather.com

Download The iPhone App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sickweather/id741036885?mt=8

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USTIA Video Spotlights People Who Transport Critically Ill Travelers

The US Travel Insurance Association has produced a short video, “Why We Do What We Do,” interviewing the people who help care for and transport critically ill travelers.  These dedicated people–from a nurse escort to a pilot and medical flight director–fly to all corners of the globe to transport seriously ill or injured travelers who require medical evacuation.

“A lot of the flying we do is not during normal business hours,” but “getting to help people makes getting out of bed at 2:30 a.m. worthwhile,” says Greg Calkins, a pilot on a medical evacuation plane.

Many travel insurance policies cover medical evacuation, which can run as high as a hundred  thousand dollars.  These policies also offer a 24-hour assistance hotline.

Depending on the situation and destination, once a medical emergency occurs and the hotline is contacted, the assistance service jumps into action.  Specially trained personnel may help locate the nearest appropriate medical facility, and help coordinate care with the treating physician, including arranging for the most optimal medical transportation when needed.  In some cases, a medically-equipped plane may be required to transport a critically ill or injured traveler.

The assistance service also helps notify family, and works with the traveler’s physician at home to provide the treating hospital with information, such as prescriptions, special medical conditions, etc.   And, when needed, the 24-hour hotline service can arrange for a medical escort in order to assure that the patient arrives home safely.

To meet the people who save travelers’ lives, and learn why they do what they do, visit UStiA’s YouTube Channel, USTravelInsurance.

For more information and a list of UStiA member companies, visit www.ustia.org.

UStiA also sponsors TRIP (Travel Responsibly, Informed, and Protected), a consumer advocacy web site with helpful information including timely tips on travel, health, safety, and security. Visit www.TRIP.ustia.org

UStiA is a non-profit association of insurance carriers and allied businesses involved in the development, administration and marketing of travel insurance and assistance. Travel insurance and assistance services are available from travel agencies, airlines, tour operators, hotels and resorts, and insurance brokers, as well as through the Internet

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