It sounds like a title created in a telemarketing department, but the reality is that two different studies conducted by prestigious entities like Mount Sinai and Stanford coincide in conclusions: Watches like the Apple Watch can help detect COVID-19 before developing symptoms or testing. positive.
Research from Mount Sinai found that the Apple Watch will be able to detect "subtle changes in the rhythm of the heartbeat" for up to seven days before developing symptoms of COVID-19. The study looked at heart rate variability and the change in time between beats. The study covers nearly 300 people in the hospital medical environment who wore Apple Watch between April 29 and September 29.
This is a common measure of how a person's immune system works, according to the report.
"Our goal was to use tools to identify infections at the time of infection or before the person knew they were sick," says Rob Hirten, assistant professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and author of The Warrior study, watch.
"We ALREADY knew that markers of heart rate variability change as inflammation develops in the body and Covid is a tremendously inflammatory event," Hirten told CBS MoneyWatch. "It allows us to predict which people are infected before we know it."
“At this point, we have to wait for the symptoms to become noticeable and not well, but wearing an Apple Watch doesn't require the user to do anything and can identify people who may be asymptomatic. It's a way to better control infectious diseases, ”says Hirten.
At the same time, in another independent Stanford study, the results of which were released in November, they include activity logs from Garmin, Fitbit and Apple. The study found that these devices could indicate heart rate changes "up to nine days before symptoms develop" in coronavirus positive patients.
According to the study, the researchers were able to identify nearly two-thirds of COVID-19 cases four to seven days before symptoms manifested.
The team also created an alarm system that alerts users that their heart rate has increased over a long period of time.
“The usual fluctuations do not sound the alarm, only significant and lasting changes over time. It has a certain set of sensitivities, so it only activates every couple of months or so. This is something important because it warns people not to go out and meet others ”.
Stanford University professor Michael Snyder, one of the study's authors, explained that this type of technology can help uncover flaws in testing strategies. “The problem is, you can't test all of them all the time, as these devices measure 24 hours a day,” he explained.
Apple did not fund or participate in any of these studies, unlike other smartwatch or wearable companies that have commissioned similar studies, such as Oura Health and Whoop.
