Apple Watch, Fitbit watches and bracelets could help diagnose Covid-19 before symptoms appear. These trackers are able to measure health data such as heart rate and respiratory rate which are among the earliest indicators of virus infection. These can alert potential patients even before the first physical manifestations.
Apple Watch and Fitbit trackers could become new weapons in the fight against covid-19. When a person is infected with the coronavirus, changes appear in their body, even before the symptoms they feel: fever, cough, headache, etc. An unexplained increase in heart rate, for example, is one of the first signs that should alert.
Scientists are studying the possibility of using bracelets and smart health connected watches as tools to aid in the diagnosis of covid-19. Their contribution would be all the more decisive by alerting users to a potential infection, they will be able to self-isolate and be tested early in order to reduce the risk of spread.
Apple Watch could detect first signs of covid-19 up to 9 days before symptoms
To assess the importance of Apple Watch and activity trackers in diagnosing coronavirus, a team from Stanford University School of Medicine led by Professor Michael Snyder enrolled 5,000 people in a study . The historical data collected by the tracker of 31 users who tested positive for Covid-19 was analyzed. Of the 31 cases, 80% had data on their devices that indicated an infection at or before the onset of symptoms. Signs were detected at or before the onset of symptoms (three days on average).
In one of the patients, Snyder’s team discovered that his smartwatch had detected the first sign of Covid-19 infection nine days before more obvious symptoms appear, knowing that the incubation period can be up to two weeks and that many patients are completely asymptomatic while remaining contagious.
Fitbit for its part, is conducting its own research on how its activity trackers could help in the early detection of Covid-19. ” We saw changes in respiratory and heart rates, which we expected Said Conor Heneghan, head of the company’s research team. Other scientists around the world are carrying out similar studies.
The promising results of several university studies on the Oura Ring smart health connected ring, for example, prompted the American National Basketball League to buy 2,000 copies of this smart health smart health connected object. NBA players and club staff must now wear it to closely monitoring their heart rate and temperature.
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