Smartwatches could help stop future pandemics before they start

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how quickly diseases can spread and overwhelm health systems. Many infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, are most contagious before symptoms appear. Studies estimate that 44% of COVID-19 cases were transmitted before symptom onset. This makes early detection crucial for slowing outbreaks.

Traditional control methods, such as social distancing and lockdowns, significantly reduce transmission but carry social and economic costs. Wearable technology, like smartwatches, offers a promising alternative by detecting illness early and allowing individuals to self-isolate before they spread disease.

Smartwatches track physiological markers, including heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep patterns, activity levels, and skin temperature. Changes in these metrics can signal infection even before symptoms develop.

Research shows that smartwatches can detect COVID-19 with 88% accuracy up to four days before symptoms appear. For influenza, accuracy rises to 90% within 24 hours before symptom onset.

A research team from Aalto University, Stanford University, and Texas A&M studied how smartwatches could impact disease transmission. They developed a mathematical model using real-world epidemiological, biological, and behavioral data.

Their findings, published in PNAS Nexus, suggest that if smartwatch users reduce social contact by 66% after receiving an early sickness alert, disease transmission could decrease by nearly 50%.

"Even at the lower end of compliance, if people receive and act on an earlier warning by self-isolating, the impact is significant," says Märt Vesinurm from Aalto University.

Higher compliance rates could nearly eliminate some disease strains. For example, during a pandemic, if infected individuals reduce social interactions by 75% after an early smartwatch alert, disease transmission could drop by up to 65%. In some scenarios, certain COVID-19 variants and influenza strains could be eradicated entirely.

Unlike diagnostic tests, which require individuals to actively seek testing, smartwatches operate continuously. This passive monitoring means infections can be detected even in asymptomatic carriers who might otherwise spread the disease unknowingly. The ability to identify infections before symptoms appear is crucial, especially for diseases with high presymptomatic transmission.

Vesinurm suggests that smartwatches could complement existing public health strategies, reducing the need for broad lockdowns and mass testing. "People are used to wearable devices and they’re likely to trust them. While they’re not yet diagnostic, they could help make unpopular approaches like masks, lockdowns, and invasive testing more targeted and less of a blunt instrument," he explains.

Receiving an early sickness alert from a smartwatch could prompt individuals to take preventive measures, such as staying home, wearing a mask, or avoiding contact with vulnerable individuals. These actions could significantly slow the spread of infectious diseases, protecting both individuals and communities.

The widespread adoption of wearable technology could reshape how public health officials respond to outbreaks. Instead of relying solely on population-wide interventions, targeted early warnings could allow for more precise disease control.

The researchers believe that, in a pandemic scenario, governments might even consider distributing smartwatches to the public as a cost-effective way to mitigate outbreaks.

"With early detection literally at our fingertips, I see a lot of reason to hope," Vesinurm says. The combination of wearable sensors, machine learning, and real-time data analysis could transform infectious disease management.

As the world prepares for future pandemics, smartwatches may become an essential tool in preventing outbreaks before they start.

Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.

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