Ora’s smart ring may help diagnose COVID-19 infections before significant symptoms appear – and earlier than any other method – thanks to its ability to constantly monitor body temperature, according to a study by the University of California, San Francisco.
Why this is important: Early detection, especially asymptomatic, may trigger testing and self-isolation of infected individuals, important steps in reducing the spread of corona virus as the epidemic worsens in the United States
Between the lines: As the smart ring constantly monitors cells, researchers have found that when a person’s temperature runs higher than the normal fluctuations around their personal base, they can objectively detect it even if they are not running high fever.
Messaging: Analysis of data from 50 COVID-19 infected patients who were part of a larger UCSF study is published today in the journal Review Scientific reports.
- Of the 50, 38 reported fever and showed the highest temperature in their smart ring data.
What they say: The study found that Ashley Mason, the project’s primary investigator, and those who later tested positive for COVID-19 often showed a “mini-storm” of physiological changes before a large, easily detectable symptom.
What’s next: When ring collecting data, including temperature, indicate a possible infection, researchers expect to test a mechanism that could trigger wearers to take the COVID-19 test.