Israeli Researchers Highlight Smartwatches as Pandemic Prevention Tools

Israeli researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered that smartwatches equipped with physiological sensors can potentially avert future pandemics by detecting infectious diseases days before symptoms appear. This breakthrough offers a proactive approach to disease control, potentially reducing the spread of infections.

In a comprehensive two-year study involving nearly 5,000 participants, the researchers found that smartwatches could detect changes in vital signs up to 23 hours before the first symptoms of COVID-19, 62 hours before group A streptococcus (GAS), and 73 hours before influenza symptoms manifested. These early detections offer a critical window for intervention, allowing individuals to reduce social interactions during the most infectious stage of a disease.

Prof. Dan Yamin, who led the study published in the peer-reviewed Lancet Regional Health Europe, emphasized the importance of harnessing scientific and technological capabilities to combat infectious diseases and pandemics. "Infectious diseases and pandemics pose a great threat to humanity, and we must harness our scientific and technological abilities to prevent them," said Yamin.

Yamin highlighted the fact that approximately 40% of disease transmissions occur before the onset of symptoms, meaning individuals often unknowingly spread infections. By utilizing wearable technology, early detection can lead to behavioral changes that minimize this risk.

Study Findings

Participants in the study wore smartwatches that continuously monitored key physiological parameters, including pulse rate and heart rate variability (HRV). These devices recorded data at 15-second intervals, focusing on heart and brain activity. Changes in these parameters can indicate physical stress caused by an illness, as the immune system prioritizes fighting the disease.

In addition to wearing smartwatches, participants completed daily health questionnaires and used home test kits for COVID-19, influenza, and GAS at their discretion. Over the study's duration, researchers collected 800,000 questionnaires and compared this data with smartwatch readings, documenting 490 influenza cases, 2,206 COVID-19 cases, and 320 GAS cases.

The study identified three critical points following exposure to an infectious disease: anomalies in heart rate, the appearance of symptoms, and testing that confirmed the infection. For COVID-19, the first physiological anomaly appeared 96 hours after exposure, while the individual noticed symptoms 130 hours post-exposure. However, testing typically occurred 168 hours after exposure. For influenza and GAS, these intervals were shorter.

Despite early detection by the smartwatches, participants delayed testing, leading to prolonged periods of unintentional disease spread. "We found that on average, people performed the test and changed their behavior when the disease was already past its peak," explained Prof. Erez Shmueli.

The Impact of Digital Diagnosis

The delay between digital diagnosis and testing is crucial, as Yamin noted. Reducing this delay can significantly decrease the spread of infectious diseases, potentially preventing future pandemics. Digital diagnosis can lower the basic reproduction number (R0 value) to below 1.0, meaning each infected individual transmits the disease to fewer than one person, eventually causing the outbreak to subside.

Early diagnosis also enables more effective treatment, particularly for COVID-19, where timely intervention is critical. "Our new method using wearable sensors for early detection can potentially reduce epidemic threats to a minimum," Yamin stated.

This groundbreaking research underscores the potential of wearable technology to transform public health strategies, offering a promising tool for early disease detection and prevention. Join us in exploring the future of health innovation by sharing this article or subscribing to our newsletter for more insights into technological advancements in healthcare.