Wired
Foreign media 9to5 Mac reported that a pair of new studies highlighted by the CBS News report showed that smart watches such as Apple Watch can help detect COVID-19 before symptoms appear or a positive test. The research conducted by the Mount Sinai Health System in New York and Stanford University in California gave experts hope that Apple Watch can help “play an important role in preventing epidemics and other infectious diseases.”
Research conducted by Mount Sinai found that Apple Watch can detect “subtle changes in personal heartbeat” 7 days before COVID-19 symptoms appear or test positive. The study analyzed heart rate variability, or time changes between heartbeats, and included nearly 300 medical workers who wore Apple Watches between April 29 and September 29 last year.
The report explains that this is a commonly used method to measure how well a person’s immune system works.
“Our goal is to use tools to identify infections when they are infected or before people know they are sick,” said Rob Hirten, assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and author of the “Warrior Watch” study.
“We already know that markers of heart rate variability change as inflammation in the body develops, and Covid is an incredible inflammatory event,” Hirten told CBS MoneyWatch. “It allows us to predict that people will be infected before they know it.”
“Now, we still rely on people to tell them that they are sick and feel uncomfortable, but wearing Apple Watch does not require active input from the user and can identify people who may not have obvious symptoms. This is a better way to control infectious diseases.” Hirten Say.
At the same time, a separate study by Stanford University, the results of which were released in November last year, included activity trackers from Garmin, Fitbit and Apple. Studies have found that these devices can display changes in the resting heart rate “nine and a half days before the onset of symptoms” in patients who are positive for the new coronavirus.
Researchers were able to identify nearly two-thirds of COVID-19 cases 4 to 7 days before the onset of symptoms, the study said.
The team also created an alarm system to remind the wearer that their heart rate has been rising for some time.
“We set the alarm to a certain sensitivity, so it will sound every two months or so,” said Stanford University professor Michael Snyder, who led the research. “Regular fluctuations do not trigger alarms – only major, continuous changes will trigger alarms.”
“This is a big problem because it is reminding people not to go out to meet and gather.” He added. For example, when Snyder’s alarm went off recently, he cancelled a face-to-face meeting in case he might be infected.
Snyder went on to explain that this technique can help make up for the shortcomings of the test strategy. “The problem is that you can’t keep [测试], And these devices can measure you 24 hours a day,” he explained.
Apple did not fund or participate in these studies, unlike other smartwatch and wearable companies commissioned to conduct similar studies, such as Oura Health and Whoop.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a model last week showing how Apple Watch and other smart watches can help curb the spread of COVID-19, including asymptomatic carriers.
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