Apple Watch can detect coronavirus infection days before testing

In some cases, wearable devices like Apple Watch or Fitbit devices can predict a COVID-19 infection even before a user becomes symptomatic or the virus is detected by standard tests, according to studies by several leading medical institutions (via CBS News)

Medical researchers at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, for example, found that the Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in a user’s heart rate for up to seven days before an infection can be detected by testing.

The Mount Sinai study looked at the variation in time between heartbeats, a metric known as heart rate variability. The researchers say it is a good measure of how well a person’s immune system is functioning.

“We already knew that heart rate variability markers change as inflammation develops in the body, and Covid is an incredibly inflammatory event. This allows us to predict that people are infected before they know it,” said Rob Hirten, author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai.

When it comes to COVID-19, individuals infected with the disease have less heart rate variability compared to those with a negative test. The study followed 300 health workers on Mount Sinai who had used Apple Watches for five months.

Notably, Apple highlighted the Mount Sinai study at its “Time Flies” event focused on the Apple Watch and iPad 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.

This research, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, found that 81% of those who tested positive for coronavirus experienced changes in their resting heartbeat.

As well as the heart rate variability metric, the researchers found that the trackers could detect an infection up to nine and a half days before the onset of symptoms.

According to Stanford University professor Michael Snyder, one of the main advantages of wearable trackers is that users wear them constantly throughout the day. This, Snyder said, may help eliminate some of the disadvantages of the standard coronavirus test.

“The problem [with testing] is that you can’t do that to people all the time, while these devices measure you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The smartwatch returns the data immediately, in real time, while if you are lucky, you will get your test back in a few days, “said Snyder CBS.

The team also developed an alarm system that alerts users if their heart rate increases for an extended period. This can alert people to cancel going out or meeting other people in person, as it can be contagious. All of this research can help medical professionals and the public to suppress coronavirus infections, since most cases are transmitted by asymptomatic people.

“At the moment, we have people saying they are sick and not feeling well, but using an Apple Watch does not require any active input from the user and can identify people who may be asymptomatic. It is a way to better control infectious diseases,” he said. . Hirten said.