Studies suggest that smart wearable devices can help detect COVID-19 infection before it happens

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Yup, you read that right. New case studies are saying that smartwatches may have a key to detect a COVID-19 virus. According to research from Mount Sinai Health System, Stanford University and other reputable medical and academic institutions, smartwatches such as Apple Watch, Garmin and Fitbit can detect infections before the symptoms start appearing up to 7 days.

In one of the tests that involved 300 Mount Sinai health care workers wearing Apple Watches last year (29 April - 29 September), the study said that the heart rate variability would change if the inflammation starts to occur, which is what the virus would cause. So far, infected individuals would have a lower heart rate or little variation time in between heartbeats, compared to those who aren't infected.

Meanwhile, another study from Stanford said that participants who wore Apple Watches, Garmin, Fitbit and others have "experienced changes in their resting heart rates up to nine and a half days prior to the onset of symptoms". So aside from having lower or irregular heart rate, a highly elevated heart rate also signalled COVID-19 symptoms.

As smartwatches and smartbands regularly measure our heart rates and skin temperature when wearing them, this could be a faster and safer way to detect infections before getting sick and calling in the ambulance. Perhaps it's time to get one for yourself? If you want to read the full story, you can visit the source link above. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.