Apple Launches Study into Whether Apple Watch Can Detect COVID-19

Apple is launching a study into whether the Apple Watch can be used to detect respiratory illnesses such as coronavirus or flu, in partnership with the University of Washington and the Seattle Flu Study.

apple watch ecg
Apple initially announced the study at its Time Flies event in September last year, it but has only recently launched, as spotted by Apple Insider.

The goal of the study is to see if the information collected by the Apple Watch and iPhone can detect early signs of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. If you are eligible and decide to participate, you will be provided an Apple Watch to wear. The watch will collect information about your health and activity. You will also be asked to answer simple survey questions in the Apple Research app on your iPhone about respiratory symptoms and lifestyle on a weekly and monthly basis.

If you get sick during the study, you will be provided with a free, at-home nasal swab to be tested for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, and you will be asked to take some additional health measurements using your Apple Watch.

The study is expected to take "up to six months" and participants accepted into the program will be provided with an Apple Watch for research purposes, which they will be expected to wear "throughout the study, both day and night." Enrolment is open now for individuals in the greater Seattle area who are age 22 or older and have an Apple iPhone 6s or newer.

A previous independent study by Mount Sinai researchers found that an Apple Watch can effectively predict a positive COVID-19 diagnosis up to a week before current PCR-based nasal swab tests, which may be reinforced by the findings of this new study.

Previous independent Apple Watch studies have shown that the smartwatch's heart sensors may be able to detect early signs of diabetes and provide early warning signs of atrial fibrillation.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Top Rated Comments

ruka.snow Avatar
40 months ago

anything for that dollar!
the flu is getting a virus, and i always knew i got the flu or any virus by that sunken feeling in my congestive track.
a watch is not going to prevent, but scare people.
Early detection of a virus could be very helpful in stopping it from spreading. People could be masking up before they are contagious now, or long into the future. All the social distancing and masking efforts has done a lot to stop covid 19 from spreading and also the seasonal flu had its 'worst' year at trying to spread.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mark and 30 others Avatar
40 months ago

anything for that dollar!
the flu is getting a virus, and i always knew i got the flu or any virus by that sunken feeling in my congestive track.
a watch is not going to prevent, but scare people.
Nowhere in the article did it suggest the watch is going to prevent someone getting the flu.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spacetime Anomaly Avatar
40 months ago
I usually know I’m going to get sick when the sun turns blood red and a crow appears on my bedstead.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hastings101 Avatar
40 months ago
I wouldn’t be surprised, I often notice I have an unusually high heart rate a day or two before I start feeling sick
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sdz Avatar
40 months ago
I always noticed getting sick a few days ahead, when my coffee did not taste good, which is a rare occurrence because i love coffee.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
40 months ago

anything for that dollar!
the flu is getting a virus, and i always knew i got the flu or any virus by that sunken feeling in my congestive track.
a watch is not going to prevent, but scare people.
No you’re wrong. It’s not going to scare people. Said the same thing about cardio problems detection and just think how many lives Apple has saved. Why would you not want them to at least try if possible? Is a study to see if can save lives a bad thing sir?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...