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In many cases, a corona infection is only discovered after the first symptoms have appeared. That could change in the future: According to the study, smartwatches detect infections before the person concerned suspects it.
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Stuttgart – Researchers from the USA have found that smartwatches can detect a corona infection days before the first symptoms. In a study, the New York hospital network “Mount Sinai Health System” examined the connection between slight changes in heart rate and a potential infection with the coronavirus. “Our goal was to find the infection before people even knew they were sick,” study author Rob Hirten told CBS News.
In previous studies, researchers have already found that changes in the heart rate can map infections in the body – including the coronavirus. Smartwatches such as those offered by Apple, Garmin or Fitbit measure various vital functions. These health functions of the devices are already popular with many users in everyday life and during sports. According to the study, these measurements can supposedly determine that a person has contracted the coronavirus up to seven days before the first symptoms.
Changes in heart rate are crucial
The time that lies between each individual heartbeat is particularly meaningful here – more precisely, the change in these intervals. This is a particularly reliable way of assessing how well the immune system of the individual is working. “We already know that when inflammation develops in the body, the heart rate changes,” Rob Hirten told CBS. With this data, a corona infection can be detected much earlier. Because a corona test, as previously usual, is usually only done in everyday life when a person already has symptoms or has knowingly been in contact with an infected person.
Stanford University has also examined the connection between corona infections and data from various smartwatches – and came to a similar result. According to their research, 81 percent of the participants with a positive corona test had changes in their resting heart rate several days beforehand. In addition, the researchers managed to use the smartwatch data to detect almost two-thirds of corona cases before symptoms became visible.
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Corona early detection apps with alarm function
Both studies were conducted in conjunction with specially developed apps that collected the data. The scientists at Stanford University have even built an alarm function into their system for users to warn them of a possible infection at an early stage. “The app only sounds an alarm if it detects significant and sustained changes in the measurements,” said the head of the study Michael Snyder to CBS.
The scientists in both studies hope to use this and similar technology to identify infected people without symptoms or with an asymptomatic course more quickly in the future, thus slowing down the spread of the virus.
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