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If you couldn’t already tell by the dozens of your sick and likely-very-whiny friends, co-workers and family members, it’s officially flu season. Are you one of the “ill-fated” members of society who caught it, too? Fortunately, now there’s an app to help you find exactly who to blame (or who to watch out for, if you haven’t caught the bug yet). You don’t have to necessarily de-friend them, but you can at least make them feel bad enough to bring you some chicken soup. From the makers of one of our favorite brands, Help Remedies, Help, I Have the Flu is a new Facebook app that attempts to help you find out who gave you the flu, or who is likely to in the near future.
The app is useful for both those who have a cold and those who don’t. It scans your friends’ Facebook profiles for keywords that may signal illness such as “coughing,” “sneezing,” or even “nurse.” It also reviews all your friends’ check-ins to see if they’re up late at night (sleep deprivation), which makes them more likely to catch a cold.
We used the app on our Facebook profiles to see exactly who we should be staying away from. Note to self: stay far, far away from our prime suspect. The app also lists others who are suspicious and should be seen at your own risk. Dum dum dum! (How cool would this app be if it could actually detect germs from your keyboard or smartphone?)
We also experimented with the option for “who might give me the flu.” Interestingly enough, the results were a little different. Either way, we’re staying far away from ALL of the suspects! If you feel the symptoms of the flu already, it gives you the ability to message the sick person, or go directly to the Help Remedies website to purchase medicine. Very clever marketing scheme, indeed.
