Apple Watch can detect COVID-19 a week before symptoms start to appear



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The Apple Watch is a lot of stuff and Apple has made sure the wearable doesn’t lag behind in any category. However, the Apple Watch largely focuses on health and fitness related features. Now, new studies by Mount Sinai Health System in New York and Stanford University in California have found that the Apple Watch and other smartwatches like Fitbit can predict positive COVID-19 ahead of time. It is something remarkable at times like these. Let’s dive in to see more details on the subject.

Apple Watch and other smartwatches may help detect COVID-19 a week before symptoms start to appear

Apple Watch can detect COVID-19 a week before symptoms start to appear, Mount Sinai researchers say. Apple’s laptop has the ability to detect minor changes in the heartbeat that could potentially lead to COVID-19. According to research, it can be detected as early as seven days.

Images of a never-before-seen iPhone 5s prototype appear online with the iPhone 5’s black and slate color

Apple Watch measures heart rate variability which measures the interval between each heartbeat. However, the same metric is also influenced by inflammation in a person’s body. Now the reading for inflammation and Covid could be similar. Covid users were able to see the variability in their heart rate decrease, suggesting that minor variation exists between heartbeats.

“We already knew that markers of heart rate variability change as inflammation grows in the body, and Covid is an incredibly inflammatory event,” Hirten told CBS MoneyWatch. “It allows us to predict that people are infected before they even know it.”

The research was conducted based on the follow-up of 300 healthcare workers who wore an Apple Watch between April 29 and September 29. Stanford University in California also conducted a study in which participants wore different smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin. The study found that 81% of participants saw their hearing rate increase roughly nine and a half days before symptoms appeared. On top of that, almost two-thirds of cases were detected between four and seven days before symptoms of COVID-19 started to appear. This study was conducted with more than 5,000 participants.

Apple is constantly adding more features to the Apple Watch and also aims to improve the user’s fitness routines. What do you think of the study? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

News Source: CBS News



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