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New Study Suggests Apple Watch Heart Rate Sensor Can Predict COVID-19 Up to a Week Before a Swab Test
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A PCR test can detect COVID within 5 days of infection. So the, “up to a week” prior to the swap is not mathematically possible. And, given the similarity of Primary and secondary symptoms to other seasonal illnesses, Cough, temp > 100.4F, body aches, congestion - there is no way the watch can differentiate between those accurately.
I think the AW6 has one sensor that the AW5 does not have - Blood O2. The Apple page for the AW6 claims the Blood O2 sensor is new.
The AW6 also has an S6 processor whereas the AW5 has the S5 processor. Apple claims the AW6 is 20% faster that the AW5.
Not sure where you live, but in my state, you can't just walk in and get a vaccine. The majority of the population here will need to wait out the rest of the winter and into late spring.
If it were only that simple.
I can walk into the Apple store at the local mall and get an Apple Watch 6. Good luck finding a 'Rona vaccine, at least in the foreseeable future.
I'm fortunate as my employer has arranged for us to get vaccinated (I fall in group 1B in my state due to occupational exposure). I get my second Moderna shot Friday. There was some question as to whether we would get our second shot "on time" as the state bungled the roll out, administering all their supply of Moderna as first shots, and not keeping some second shots in reserve.
Then the follow up supply was coming in all Pfizer and they were suddenly talking about attempting cross dosing us. Everyone in my workplace (thank god for the union) threw a fit. I'll take some chances, but I didn't sign up to be a lab rat.
The state curtailed their first shot programs until they could get the second shot Moderna people lined up. Which they have, but there were no guarantees. Now all the first shots here are Pfizer and they're holding the second doses in reserve (as they should). People have experienced enough uncertainty this past year.
I feel BEYOND FORTUNATE that my employer made this possible for us. I've worked here a long time and we were often neglected when it came to safety equipment and needs. A lot of my co workers did not sign up for the first round in January and are now scrambling to get theirs through work. Some of them fell for the notion they were being used as an experiment, others bought the goofy 5G stuff, or the microchip BS.
I trust science. I trust my doctors. So do a LOT of people. But some simply CAN'T get the vaccine, and won't be able to for a long time at the current rate.
And then of course there's research for the sake of "pure science". No single problem solved leads to a breakthrough. But the culmination of discoveries lead to giant leaps forward in technology and medicine. Look into how the mRNA technology that's used in the vaccine was discovered. It almost never was.
As for a new watch? I have a 4. I'm happy with it. I will at least wait for the 7. If I have the money and the wife approves.
Only when you are eligible to get it. Like @IllinoisCorn, I live in a state (Ohio) that is rolling out the vaccine in waves, taking into account actual availability of vaccine doses and the "category" you are in (like elderly seniors or people whose jobs put them in direct contact with at-risk people, like elderly seniors).
So yes, the vaccine is free, but it is not on demand yet for the majority of people.
A wearable company is working on something similar
www.empatica.com
I think their products are not in direct competition with AW, some of them don't even have a display so no notifications etc. but they are equipped with more sensors so they ought to be more accurate.
Partnering with BARDA to seek FDA approval of our COVID-19 early detection system
Empatica has once again joined forces with BARDA to validate and release our proprietary COVID-19 early detection algorithm using our wearable technology.
www.empatica.com
I am inclined to upgrade my Apple Watch more often than my iPhone. I rarely use or have use for my iPad and doubt I’d ever get another unless I had a specific requirement.
You're comparing to the general population. But when an athlete is overtraining, the trend in their own resting heartbeat is that it increases. Polar uses this in their watches as an overtraining warning.
In general, your own resting heartbeat increases when you're fighting any infection.
I believe I had COVID in February 2020, though I was never tested or diagnosed. Looking at my monthly average HRV data from my Apple Watch, that month was at 47 ms, which was the lowest average of any month on record (since October 2018, when the data started). The averages for other months ranged from 51 ms to 62 ms, mostly around 56 ms.
[Edit] My average resting heartrate was also 63 bpm that month, compared to 51-56 bpm usually. That seems to more clearly indicate that I was sick, though it's likely that it wouldn't be very discriminatory towards COVID specifically. [/Edit]
[Edit] My average resting heartrate was also 63 bpm that month, compared to 51-56 bpm usually. That seems to more clearly indicate that I was sick, though it's likely that it wouldn't be very discriminatory towards COVID specifically. [/Edit]
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Ahhahahahhahahah!!!! Oh dear God, please tell me this is a troll account. Please.
So If the Apple watch is just using the heart rate monitor built in to see these readings then technically other watches that have these same features would be capable of the same thing, so this doesn't make this unique to apple watches. My Galaxy Active 2 watch does HR, Blood Pressure and ECG. So in theory it would be capable of doing the same thing. And rumors have it that the Galaxy Watch 3 has the potential of reading O2 with a future update. If these watches (Apple and Samsung) could get all these things working in their watches, that would be a game changer for the health world. Hopefully one day.
Yes it is a device of the future, But remember, It is not the only one. The Samsung watches have all the same sensors and can do the same.
The PCR is a joke. At the cycle rate they have been using your car would test positive for COVID.
Too me it seems that the specificity of using the HRM is low.
Also worried when they write "Prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19 by nasal PCR, significant changes in HRV were observed demonstrating its predictive ability to identify COVID-19 infection."
PCR is a measurement method for determining the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments - a necessary but not sufficient condition for COVID-19.
Ok, I like apple a lot but you should look around for other perspectives. Oura Ring for instance, is way less intrusive, very easy to wear while sleeping and keeps a lot more useful data, like temperature. Research was done and publish about its capability to predict Covid. That is actually making NBA buying it to all of their athletes.
I agree there are issues with the PCR, but my experience has been a bit different.
I tested negative (my employer offers weekly tests to all employees conducted by an outside contractor) up until I had what was later a confirmed exposure to a positive individual. Exposure meaning in a confined space for an extended period of time (a vehicle) with a gap in PPE use (I took my mask off, I was stuck in this van for an hour and it was getting old, and it was really stupid to do). Five days later, I had it. So did my spouse.
I get tested weekly. I work in a high exposure environment. I haven't tested positive since.
So, either I DID have the virus and have some natural immunity now and the tests are fairly accurate, or the tests aren't so sensitive that my car would test positive because half my office has had it, and I never really got it. By some sort of conspiracy theory magic, they all tested positive and I haven't tested positive since I was positive 4 months ago. I mean, I should have had a second positive, I'm around people who I later find out had 'Rona all. The. Time. I have WEEKLY tests for it. Statistically, I should have tested positive again by now.
You can't have it smother, covered, diced, and chunked. It either is or it isn't.
The room for the conspiracy theorists is down the hall. Some nutbag is in there yelling about how he's going to string up his neighbor and eat them or something on his entertaino-battles webs pages or some crap.
I just wish that the Federal Government would have a contact tracing app since all states won't make one, it would help with making everyone who wishes to use it feel more secure about going out in public.
I had fever symptoms the day after a negative test, which was likely conducted on Day 4 of exposure where PCR tests have a 67% of false negative. My son had been exposed 7 days prior and we had been isolating together.
Looking back at my Health data, my resting heart rate average is consistently around 70bpm. There is a definitive elevated resting HR the 2 days before and after my fever. It would be nice if the watch could give you an alert X standard deviations away from your weekly average.
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In mid-January I just experienced mild shortness of breath and my blood oxygen value started being reported very low when I first woke up and then went back to normal during the day for about a week before returning to my previous normal blood oxygen daily range. Turns out I had had an episode of hemolytic anemia and my hematocrit had dropped from 42 to 32 during that week. Without the Apple Watch I would have just figured I was 'tired' and never bothered to check with my doctor.
The doctor figured my % blood oxygen was never really that low but rather all the ruptured red blood cells had colored my plasma so much the color dependent watch sensor wasn't seeing the differences it expected for 'normal' blood oxygen values.
I am really starting to love the health and safety features of wearing my Apple Watch 24/7 (other than charging of course)
The doctor figured my % blood oxygen was never really that low but rather all the ruptured red blood cells had colored my plasma so much the color dependent watch sensor wasn't seeing the differences it expected for 'normal' blood oxygen values.
I am really starting to love the health and safety features of wearing my Apple Watch 24/7 (other than charging of course)
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I got so bored of my watch telling me what to do and when to do it, I ended up turning heart and fitness features both off, now everything feels a lot better. No constant nagging.
Im not gonna be one of those guys who are waving cardboard saying "The world is gonna end, brace yourself", I just dont give a damn.
Im not gonna be one of those guys who are waving cardboard saying "The world is gonna end, brace yourself", I just dont give a damn.
It is pretty interesting that your heart rate can give signs that you are ill before you feel any symptoms. Fitbit has done similar studies.
blog.fitbit.com
Hopefully more can be done with this data in the future.
Wellness, Recipes, Sleep, and Nutrition success with Fitbit
Read more about individual success stories, expert fitness tips, health and nutrition advice, with Fitbit trackers & smartwatches.
blog.fitbit.com
Hopefully more can be done with this data in the future.
Re health, to my knowledge Apple Watches have only saved and improved the lives of every wearer.