Wearable devices like a fertility tracker can assist detect COVID-19 as early as two days before the onset of symptoms, a latest study has shown.

For his or her research, scientists used an AVA fertility tracker, which measures respiratory rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, wrist-skin temperature and blood flow at night. The bracelet is commercially available and approved by FDA and European agencies.

“When the pandemic began in March 2020, we quickly considered how we could […] contribute to the knowledge gain and help to stop and treat patients with COVID and help to avoid or higher treat and higher handle future pandemics,” explained David Conen, co-author of the study.

The wearable device utilized in the study was paired with a modified mobile app and the five health parameters were recorded, together with any activity which may impact the body’s central nervous system, equivalent to alcohol use and intake of prescription or recreational drugs, in addition to any possible COVID-19 symptoms, researchers wrote in a paper published in BMJ Open.

Of the 1,163 participants, who took part within the study from March 2020 until April 2021, 127 tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the period. The bracelet picked up conspicuous changes in all five physiological indicators from the several stages equivalent to incubation, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic and recovery.

An algorithm developed by the team was used to detect COVID-19 symptoms in 70% of the participants who tested positive for the virus. It confirmed the presence of SARS-COV-2 in 73% of cases early as two days prior to the onset of symptoms. The virus was confirmed using molecular and/or serological assays.

Similar results were present in the remaining 30% as well, because the algorithm was capable of accurately detect 68% of the positive cases as much as two days before symptoms appeared.

The researchers admitted that the unique study was conducted with a small variety of participants, and the group lacked diversity in ethnicity, age and geographic location. 

To further test the efficacy of wearable health devices and machine learning in COVID-19 diagnoses, a much larger study comprising 20,000 participants is being conducted within the Netherlands.

“This is just not related only to COVID,” Conen said. “In future diseases, it could also result in preventative treatments and forestall significant complications.”