Study suggests Apple Watch can detect COVID-19 before symptoms appear

A new study suggests that the Apple Watch may be able to detect COVID-19 infections before symptoms arise.

Researchers at Mount Sinai Health System in New York have found that wearable technology could play a vital role in detecting cases. The study found that the watch was able to detect positive cases of the virus before it’s detectable by tests.

The researchers found that the Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in people’s heartbeats, which could signify that the person has the virus up to a week before they start feeling sick.

“Our goal was to use tools to identify infections at time of infection or before people knew they were sick,” Rob Hirten, the author of the study and an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai, told CBS news.

The study looked at heart rate variability, which can be used to measure how a person’s immune system is performing.

“We already knew that heart rate variability markers 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,” Hirten said.

It’s worth noting that the Apple Watch isn’t the only wearable device that can detect early infections. A separate study from Stanford outlines that Garmin and Fitbit devices can be used to identify COVID-19 cases as well.

Source: CBS News