A study found that Fitbit® trackers and other wearable devices that can track COVID-19 recovery and long-term effects objectively in real time may help identify when treatment is necessary and potentially prevent long-term effects from the illness. 

Changes in Heart Rate

The Fitbit COVID-19 study showed changes in patients’ heart rates and behaviors throughout both illness and recovery. Patient monitoring was conducted using wearables as well as SpO2 fingertip oximeters. Based on the research:

• COVID patients had a higher resting heart rate for up to 79 days after symptom onset. 
• A small subset of participants had resting heart rates of more than five beats per minute higher than normal, and they did not return to pre-COVID rates for more than 133 days. 
• Those with a higher resting heart rate also experienced lingering symptoms such as:
• Cough 
• Body aches
• Shortness of breath

In the general population, a higher resting heart rate is associated with a higher risk of death from coronary artery disease. It will take time, however, to determine whether the increase in resting heart rate observed in COVID-19 patients affects life expectancy in the long term. 

Changes in Physical Activity and Sleep

The Fitbit researchers found that COVID-19 patients moved less and experienced disrupted sleep patterns during recovery. People who tested positive for COVID took up to 32 days to return to their pre-COVID step count, and up to 24 days to achieve their pre-COVID sleep quantity. Quarantining at home is a likely contributor to the reduced step count. 

In addition, study results revealed that a high temperature was not widespread in people who tested positive for COVID-19. According to an October 2020 study that appeared in Nature Medicine, data collected from wearables showed that: 

• Temperatures greater than 100°F were less common than previously thought 
• Just 12% of COVID-positive patients had elevated temperatures when tested 
• Only 31% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a high temperature upon admission 

How Wearables Can Help

So how, exactly, can wearables help? Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is key for monitoring the progression and severity of COVID-19. A resting SpO2 of less than 90% can signify a greater number of bodywide inflammatory markers, and has also been linked to higher COVID-19 death rates. Monitoring oxygen saturation in real time can highlight early respiratory distress. 

Fitness wearables don’t currently measure SpO2 accurately, but some portable fingertip oximeters, such as MightySat™ Rx and Pulsox-310, do. They were initially designed for use by patients with such chronic conditions as sleep apnea and COPD, so they could potentially help patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms track their respiratory symptoms from home.

*Warren, K. (2021, Sep. 9). Tracking COVID-19’s Health Effects With Wearable Devices. Healthgrades. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/coronavirus/tracking-covid-19s-health-effects-with-wearable-devices?hid=exprr

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.