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Florida becomes hot spot for fevers, researchers say

ORLANDO, Fla. — A company called Kinsa Mission developed a map that shows where influenza-like illness symptoms, especially fevers, are registering now more than ever in Florida.

The map demonstrates how a state like Florida, where flu season should be well into its decline, is showing unusually high concentrations of high body temperature readings.

Kinsa researchers compared this year’s data to previous years and found the hottest zone for unusually high numbers of fever is in Florida.

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The company cautions the map doesn’t show only the coronavirus, but hopes it can be a tool.

Local doctors think the tool could show what the state’s diagnoses of coronavirus may not be showing.

“It’s not even close. Even compared to known hot zones of New York, California and the Pacific Northwest. So I think this is just clearly a matter of not testing,” one doctor said.

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The company said it is working to get more thermometers into schools so that by fall, it will be able to track even more data.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.

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