Wrist-worn health trackers could detect Covid-19 before symptoms appear
manchestereveningnews.co.ukHealth trackers worn on wrists could detect Covid-19 days before symptoms begin appear, new research suggests. Such health trackers monitor changes in the skin's temperature as well as heart and breathing rates.
When combined with artificial intelligence (AI), it could provide a diagnosis of Covid-19. An AVA bracelet - a fertility tracker - was tested by a research team who wrote in the journal BMJ Open.
Like many other health trackers, it monitors breathing rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, wrist skin temperature, and blood flow. Read more: Police officer doctored Covid test with red pen to get time off work during pandemic In the study, 1,163 people under the age of 51 in Lichtenstein were asked to wear the AVA bracelet at night from the start of the pandemic.
The device would save data every 10 seconds with participant needing to sleep at least four hours for it to work. The health trackers were paired with a smartphone app while participants recorded any activity which could affect results, such as drinking alcohol and taking prescription medications and recreational drugs.
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