Smart watches, including the Apple Watch you may be able to detect the signs of Covid-19 before you know you are sick, a recent study found.
In a study titled “Warrior Watch,” researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center found that the Apple Watch can detect small changes in a user’s heartbeat, which may indicate that they have contracted Covid-19 up to seven days before they develop visible symptoms. .
Specifically, the study analyzed a measure called heart rate variability (HRV) – the variation in time between each heart rate – which is also a measure of how well a person’s immune system works. The participants wore Apple Watches with special apps that measured changes in their HRV.
“We already knew that the heart rate change markers change as inflammation develops in the body, and Covid is an incredible inflammatory event,” said Dr. Robert Hirten, assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City and author of the study, said CBS. “It allows us to predict that people are infected before they know it.”
A similar study conducted by Stanford University found that 81% of Covid-19-positive participants wore a variety of smartwatches – from Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and others – up to nine days before the onset of an irregularity. in their HRV. major symptoms.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of managing the global pandemic is identifying individuals who contract Covid-19 but remain asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms but are still infected (and thus unknowingly transmit the virus).
Studies like these have revealed that seemingly everyday consumer technology can play a major role in the future management of the pandemic by enabling people to easily identify early signs of invisible symptoms.
“Developing a way to identify people who may be ill even before they know they are infected will really be a breakthrough in the management of Covid-19,” said Dr. Hirten said. “This technology enables us not only to track and predict health outcomes, but also to intervene in a timely and remote manner, which is essential during a pandemic that requires people to stay apart.”
Custom Covid-19 portable
A company called NeuTigers is even developing a custom portable device dedicated to the early detection of Covid-19.
Since humble consumers can pick up smartwatch symptoms, the company used Princeton University research to develop an artificial intelligence product called CovidDeep, which can inform those in clinical settings and nursing homes about their transmission risk.
Empatica E4 is called, and the patient who monitors portably takes various skin, heart rate and blood pressure measurements with the sole purpose of detecting Covid-19 symptoms early. The patient data is then transferred to the CovidDeep system, which detects the virus by 90% – this is more accurate than your normal temperature examination through the store entrance.
In terms of when these research developments will fall into the hands (or on the wrists) of the general public, it remains unknown, but companies are working fast to bring their findings to market. NeuTigers, for example, has committed to creating an in-house app that can work with Apple, Fitbit, Samsung and many other smartwatch brands.
Could this be an important step in the global fight against Covid-19? As vaccines begin to spread worldwide, early identification of infection should be the next priority. Your smartwatch can soon become more of an annoying reminder to take your steps.
Via CBS News