New study suggests Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can predict COVID-19 up to a week before swab test

A new study by Mount Sinai researchers has found that Apple Watch can predict advanced COVID-19 diagnosis up to a week before PCR-based nasal swab tests (via TechCrunch).

Published in peer review Journal of internet medical research, the “Hero Guard Survey” involved several hundred Mount Sinai health care workers using a unique Apple Watch and iPhone app for personal health data monitoring and collection.

All participants were asked to complete a daily survey over several months to provide direct feedback on possible coronavirus symptoms and other factors, including stress.

The data collection ran from April through September, and the main focal point for researchers was heart rate variability (HRV), a major indicator of nervous system strain. This data point was combined with reported symptoms associated with the disease, such as fever, pain, dry cough, and loss of taste and smell.

The Hero Guardian Survey could not predict disease up to a week before tests provided confirmed confirmation, but it also revealed that participants ’HRV patterns normalized rapidly after diagnosis, returning to normal around on a week or two after their advanced tests.

The researchers hope the results will help to anticipate outcomes and separate people from other distances from other at-risk people, without having to do a physical exam or administer a swab test. , preventing the possible spread of a highly contagious person.

according to TechCrunch, the study will expand in the future to look at what other wearables can reveal about the impact of COVID-19 on the health of health care workers, including how things like sleep and physical activity may connection with the disease.

In an ongoing joint research, Apple is currently partnering with researchers at the Seattle Flu Study and a faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine to study how changes in blood oxygenation and heart rate may be early signs of the onset of influenza and COVID-19.

Previous independent Apple Watch studies have shown that the smartwatch’s heart rate sensors could detect early signs of diabetes and provide early warning signs of atrial fibrillation.