The Apple Watch may be able to detect coronavirus infection days before testing can be done

In some cases, portable devices such as Apple Watch or Fitbit can predict COVID-19 infection even before a user becomes symptomatic or the virus is detectable by standard testing, according to studies from several leading medical institutions. CBS News).

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

The Mount Sinai study looked at the variation in time between heartbeats, a metric 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 incredibly inflammatory event. It allows us to predict that people are infected before they know it,” Rob Hirten said. , the author of the study. assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai.

When it comes to COVID-19, people infected with the disease experience less heart rate variability compared to those who tested negative. The study followed 300 health workers from Mount Sinai who carried Apple Watches for five months.

In particular, Apple highlighted the Mount Sinai studio at its “Time Flies” event focused on Apple Watch and iPad, on September 15, 2020.

Another study from Stanford University in California examined a wide variety of activity and fitness trackers from Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and other manufacturers.

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

Like the heart rate variability metric, the researchers found that followers could detect an infection for up to nine and a half days before symptoms began.

According to Stanford University professor Michael Snyder, one of the main advantages of portable trackers is that users carry them constantly throughout the day. This, Snyder said, could help eliminate some of the disadvantages of standard coronavirus testing.

“The problem [with testing] is that it can’t be done to people all the time, while these devices measure you 24/7. The smartwatch returns the data to you immediately, in real time, while if you’re lucky, you’ll recover the test in a few days, ”Snyder said CBS.

The team also developed an alarm system that alerted users if heart rate increased over an extended period of time. This could alert people to cancel the outing or meeting with other people in person, as they could be infectious. All of this research could help medical professionals and the public eliminate coronavirus infections, as most cases are transmitted by asymptomatic people.

“Right now, we have people who say they’re sick and they don’t feel well, but wearing an Apple Watch doesn’t require any active user input and can identify people who may be asymptomatic. It’s a way to control better. infectious diseases “. Hirten said.