Smartwatches like the Apple Watch can detect COVID-19 infections a week before the user feels bad or test positive for the new coronavirus, two medical studies suggest.
Since these devices can identify subtle changes in heart rate that can indicate early infection, they can detect asymptomatic individuals, who make up a considerable proportion of COVID-19 cases.
Researchers at Mount Sinai Health System in New York and Stanford University in California have found that smartwatches can offer a type of early warning system for users during the global pandemic.
If a smartwatch or other device has identified certain physiological indicators, for example, the user may decide to avoid contact with other people or to seek a COVID-19 test. Early diagnosis probably leads to better results for patients.
To date, COVID-19 has killed almost 2 million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Apple Watch can provide advance notice of COVID-19
CBS News writes about twin studies that offer encouraging news for owners of Apple Watches and similar devices:
“Mount Sinai researchers found that Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in an individual’s heartbeat, which can signal that an individual has the coronavirus, up to seven days before feeling sick or the infection being detected through testing …. Specifically, the study looked at a metric called heart rate variability – the variation in time between each heartbeat – which is also a measure of how well a person’s immune system is working. ”
Individuals with COVID-19 reportedly experienced less heart rate variability (less variation in time between heartbeats) than those without COVID-19. The greater variability in heart rate shows that a person’s nervous system is “active, adaptable and more resistant to stress”.
The study was based on nearly 300 Mount Sinai health professionals who used Apple Watches between late April and September 2020. Apple did not participate in the study.
A second study
Meanwhile, the Stanford University unrelated study found that 81% of coronavirus patients saw a change in resting heart rate up to 9.5 days before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. A high heart rate can therefore help to predict the onset of symptoms.
As it stands, few people use smartwatches to slow the spread of the coronavirus. There are also other reasons, not COVID, why the heart rate may be elevated or for the variation in heart rate variability. Still, it is very fascinating research that could form the basis of useful tools in the future.
Apple Watch Series 6 measures blood oxygen levels too
Likewise, the blood oxygen sensor on the Apple Watch Series 6 can detect the “silent hypoxia” that can precede the onset of severe symptoms of COVID-19. “The ability to detect this silent form of hypoxia in patients with COVID-19 before they begin to experience shortness of breath is critical to preventing pneumonia from progressing to a dangerous level,” according to a 2020 study.
That research indicated that even technology on ordinary smartphones can identify decreasing levels of oxygen in the blood, if used correctly. An “always on” smartwatch that measures oxygen saturation at the bottom should theoretically work even better.
All of this medical research should serve as a timely reminder that the smartwatches that we increasingly wear on our wrists can serve as potentially powerful diagnostic tools.
Source: CBS News