New studies: Apple Watch helps detect Corona virus before symptoms appear

In new studies, published in a report by CBS News, smart watches such as the Apple Watch can help detect the Coronavirus COVID-19 before symptoms appear or even when tests confirm that the virus is positive. These studies, conducted by the Mount Sinai Health Authority in New York and Stanford University in California, have given experts hope that the Apple Watch and others will help play a vital role in stopping the Corona epidemic and other infectious diseases.

Apple Watch gives an early warning before contracting the Coronavirus

Researchers found that the Apple Watch and other smart watches can provide a kind of early warning system for users, as they are able to detect subtle changes in the wearer's heartbeat up to seven days before symptoms of the COVID-19 virus appear on it. The study analyzed the variability of heart rate and the difference in time between its strokes, and the study included nearly 300 healthcare workers who wore Apple watches between April 29 and September 29.

And if the smartwatch or other device shows some physiological changes, the wearer may decide to avoid contact with others or take a COVID-19 test before it gets worse. It is well known that early diagnosis leads to better patient outcomes.

We all know the scale of the disaster, and this epidemic continues to claim lives, as it has killed nearly two million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

"Our goal was to use tools to identify infection at the time of infection or before people knew they were sick," said Rob Herton, assistant professor at Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai in New York City and author of the Warrior Watch Study.

Herten told CBS MoneyWatch: "We already knew that the signs of a change in heart rate change with the development of inflammation in the body due to the Corona virus, and this allows us to predict the infection of people before they know it."

“At the moment, we rely on people who say they are sick and not feeling well, but wearing an Apple Watch does not require any active user intervention and can identify people who may not be showing symptoms. It is a way to better control infectious diseases, Herten said.

Another study confirms the role of smart watches in slowing the spread of the virus

Meanwhile, another independent study from Stanford University, whose results were released in November, found that 81% of coronavirus patients experienced a change in their heart rate at rest, up to approximately 9 days before symptoms of the virus appeared. So a very high heart rate can help predict the onset of symptoms. And considering activity trackers like Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit.

As it stands, not enough people are wearing smart watches to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. There are also causes other than COVID that may lead to an elevated heart rate or altered heart rate variability. Nevertheless, it is very interesting research that could form the basis for useful tools in the future.

The study says researchers were able to identify nearly two-thirds of COVID-19 cases four to seven days before symptoms appeared.

The team also created an alarm system that alerts the wearer of these devices that their heart rate has increased for an extended period of time. "We set the alarm with a certain sensitivity, so it will go off about every two months," said Michael Snyder, a professor at Stanford University, who led the study.

He added: “It is a big problem because it alerts people not to go out and come into contact with other people. When the alarm goes off, the tool developed by" Snyder "will initiate the person to cancel meetings due to the possibility of infection.

This kind of technology can help a lot in offsetting testing strategies, Snyder said, as you can't test people all the time, while these devices monitor you XNUMX/XNUMX.

Apple did not fund or participate in either of these studies, unlike other companies that provide such devices, such as the Finnish company Oura Health and Whoop.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a template last week indicating how the Apple Watch and other smartwatches can help limit the spread of COVID-19.

Apple Watch 6 measures oxygen levels in the blood as well

Likewise, the blood oxygen sensor can be in Apple Watch 6 Discovering the "silent hypoxia" that can precede the onset of serious COVID-19 symptoms. According to a 2020 study, "The ability to detect this silent form of hypoxia in patients with COVID-19 before they enter the stage of shortness of breath is critical to preventing pneumonia from progressing to a dangerous level."

All of this medical research should be a timely reminder that the smartwatches so many of us wear on our wrist can serve as potentially powerful diagnostic tools.

Source:

9to5mac