Researchers Believe Apple Watches Can Help You Detect Covid 19 Even Before Symptoms Start to Show Up

Researchers believe that Apple watches can detect whether you are infected by the corona virus even before you start showing symptoms or in case you are asymptomatic. Keep reading to find out how.

Separate researches from two universities in the United States, namely Mount Sinai Health System in New York and Stanford University in California said that Apple watches are able to track the heart rate of the user rather accurately and detect even the minor changes in the heart rate of the user seven to nine days before the actual symptoms of Covid even start to show. Wonder how will your heart rate determine if you are corona positive or not?

Well, Rob Hirten who is an assistant professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York said that heart rate variability changes when you are infected by an inflammatory disease and since corona is a rather strong inflammatory event your increased heart rate detection can make you cautious to stay isolated. The goal during their research was to use tools to help people know about the infection even before the infectious symptoms start to show or in case one is asymptomatic. The corona virus is rather new and the only way of finding out if you are positive or not is when you feel sick and start to show symptoms, but since now we know carriers can be symptom less too Apple watches will help you detect it through heart rates and as per advice you can reduce contact with people for two weeks. It is a great way to reduce the spread of the disease. The research from Mount Sinai is based on the study analysis of the variation in heart beats of 300 Health Care Workers who wore Apple watches from April till September.

A separate research from Stanford University based its study by observing different activity trackers like Apple, Fitbit and Garmin and gave their expert opinion that these devices could detect heart rate changes nine days prior to symptoms showing and were even able to identify two thirds of Covid 19 cases days before the symptoms showed up. Apart from this they also have created an alarm system that will alert the user of the watch when their heart rate would increase. Heart rates go up and down sometimes which is rather natural, therefore this device will only alert you when it detects unusual sustained changes in the beating speed and not when the heart has regular fluctuations.

This device is really helpful in reducing the transmission of Covid and other communicable diseases. As not everyone can be tested and usually people showing symptoms are referred for testing it would be a great way for people who feel that they have unusual changes in their heart beat and may be having asymptomatic Covid stay at home in isolation and reduce the spread of the pandemic disease.


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