Apple Watch Could Spot COVID-19 Symptoms Before it Strikes

Smartwatches such as Apple Watch could detect COVID-19 infections a week before the wearer feels sick or would test positive for the novel coronavirus, two medical studies suggest.

Since such devices can identify subtle changes in heart rate that might indicate an early infection, they could spot asymptomatic individuals, who make up a sizable proportion of COVID-19 cases.

Researchers at Mount Sinai Health System in New York and Stanford University in California found that smartwatches could offer a type of early warning system for users during the global pandemic.

If a smartwatch or other device identified certain physiological indicators, for instance, the wearer might decide to avoid contact with others or to seek a COVID-19 test. Early diagnosis likely leads to better patient outcomes.

CBS News writes about the twin studies that offer encouraging news for owners of Apple Watches and similar devices:

“Researchers at Mount Sinai found that the Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in an individual’s heartbeat, which can signal that an individual has the coronavirus, up to seven days before they feel sick or infection is detected through testing…. Specifically, the study analyzed a metric called heart rate variability — the variation in time between each heartbeat — which is also a measure of how well a person’s immune system is working.”

Individuals with COVID-19 reportedly experienced lower heart rate variability (less variation in time between heart beats) than those with no COVID-19. Greater heart rate variability shows that a person’s nervous system is “active, adaptable and more resilient to stress.”

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