Microsoft and Emory University have joined forces to put together a pretty cool little quiz to help people determine if they (or a loved one) have the flu, or if the symptoms that they are experiencing point to something else.
Called the H1N1 Swine Flu Response Center, this tool asks you some questions about how old you are (it is only for people over 13 years old), your gender, zip code and symptoms. Since I have had a little bug for the past week or so, I tried it out with my symptoms and was told that I probably didn't have the flu, but I might be sick from something else.
I messed around with the tool a little to see what kind of answers would trigger a "yes, you probably have the flu" response. I was asked questions about duration of symptoms, fever, cough/sore throat, chest pain, vomiting and dizziness. While I didn't try every combination of answers, I was kind of surprised at some of the "probably not" responses, given some of the (fictional) answers I gave. For instance, if you answer that you don't have fever, you are pretty much guaranteed to get a negative answer and not be asked many questions about other symptoms. However, the CDC says that it is possible to have H1N1 without a fever for some people.
I think this is a good tool that will probably keep people calm in the middle of the night if they start experiencing symptoms. However, I don't think it should replace a consultation with a doctor, especially if the sick person is a child or in a high-risk group.
