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The Apple Watch may be able to detect if a carrier has the coronavirus days before they are diagnosed or symptoms appear, a new body of research shows.
In some cases, wearable devices such as Apple Watch or Fitbit devices can predict a COVID-19 infection even before a user becomes symptomatic or the virus can be detected by standard tests, according to studies from a number of leading medical institutions (via CBS News).
For example, medical researchers at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York found that the Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in a user’s heart rhythm for up to seven days before an infection can be detected through testing.
The Mount Sinai study analyzed the variation in time between heartbeats, a unit of measure known as heart rate variability. Researchers say it is a good measure of how a person’s immune system works.
“We already knew that markers of heart rate variability change as inflammation develops in the body, and Covid is an incredible inflammatory event. It allows us to predict that people will be infected before they know it,” said Rob Hirten, the director of research. author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
When it comes to COVID-19, individuals infected with the disease experienced lower heart rate variability than those who tested negative. The study followed 300 health workers on Mount Sinai who wore Apple Watches for five months.
Apple particularly highlighted the Mount Sinai investigation during the Apple Watch and iPad-focused “Time Flies” event on September 15, 2020.
Another study from Stanford University in California looked at a variety of activity and fitness trackers from Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and other manufacturers.
That research, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, found that 81% of those who tested positive for coronavirus experienced changes in their resting heart rate.
Like the heart rate variability metric, researchers found that the trackers could detect infection up to nine and a half days before symptoms started.
According to Stanford University Professor Michael Snyder, one of the main advantages of wearable trackers is that users wear them constantly throughout the day. That, Snyder said, could help overcome some of the drawbacks of standard coronavirus testing.
“The problem [with testing] is that you cannot always do it with people, while these devices measure you 24/7. The smartwatch gives you back the data right away, in real time, and if you’re lucky, you get your test back in a few days, ”said Snyder. CBS.
The team also developed an alarm system that warned users if their heart rate had been elevated for extended periods of time. That could warn people to cancel going out or meet others in person, as they could be contagious. All this research can help medical professionals and the public fight coronavirus infections, as most cases are spread by asymptomatic people.
“Right now, we rely on people who say they are sick and don’t feel well, but wearing an Apple Watch doesn’t require active user input and can identify people who may be asymptomatic. It’s a way to better prevent infectious diseases. get under control “said Hirten.