Fitbit and Garmin are collaborating with research institutes in the U.S. and Germany to help detect or predict coronavirus contamination. Similar efforts are reportedly underway in other countries as well.
Fitbit, the Scripps Research Institute and Stanford Medicine have formed a research consortium to detect, track and contain infectious diseases through Fitbit data. There reportedly exists some evidence that wearables like the Fitbit bracelet can help predict certain infections before symptoms appear. The new effort is meant to help predict Covid-19 infection in particular. The Scripps Research Translational Institute, located in California, recently launched an app-based program, called Detect, to use wearable-generated data such as heart rate, sleep and activity levels to predict viral infections. The consortium is maintaining an open invitation to other, similar institutions to take part.
In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) already seems to have made a little more progress regarding health data collection for prediction of infectious diseases: The institute recently launched an app for this purpose, which it has developed with Garmin and an e-health company, Thryve. It is available for iOS and Android devices and supports, besides Garmin devices, all devices connected via GoogleFit and AppleHealth as well as devices from Fitbit, Polar and Withings/Nokia.
RKI’s “Corona-Datenspende” (“Corona Data Donation”) provides information on the distribution of the coronavirus in Germany. Users of the app, which is only available in German app stores, voluntarily share selected health data that will help RKI scientists to gain insights into how to fight the virus. A prerequisite for the data donation is the possession of a wearable or a smartwatch from various manufacturers.
Garmin supports the initiative and encourages its users to provide their vital data voluntarily. According to its own privacy policy, the company will not share or release any user data itself – each user decides whether to share data. The data will be transmitted to the RKI fully encrypted and anonymously.
Many Garmin wearables have a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation and the breathing of the wearer. These models also provide necessary information on resting pulse, sleep and activity level - parameters that can be very interesting for health studies.
Thryve has been an application programming interface partner of Garmin since 2017. According to the RKI, the integration of further devices is on the way, but not all manufacturers of fitness wristbands and smartwatches offer the possibility to transfer data digitally to other services such as its data donation app.
Photo: © Polar
