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Necessity and invention: we know they go hand in hand. When a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hits, innovators can quickly come up with products and ideas, including products designed for entirely different uses.
Like wearables, which are used to detect the first signs of COVID-19 instead of simply counting daily steps.
A new article, representing the first findings of an ongoing study, found that among people wearing Oura-brand smart rings on their fingers, 50 were diagnosed with COVID-19.
“For 38 of them, they had very clear episodes of fever associated with an elevated heart rate and increased respiratory rate, but before they reported it,” said Benjamin Smarr, a data scientist at the University of California, San Diego. Smarr is the lead author of the Scientific Reports article.
Predicting disease would be an unintended feature of the Oura device. And smartwatches and fitness trackers have also been found to provide early warning signs of COVID, with strong data correlations, even for patients without symptoms that can nonetheless spread the disease.
“We need to identify people as soon as possible, before they actually have a chance to pass the virus on to family, friends or colleagues,” said Giorgio Quer, director of artificial intelligence at Scripps Research.
Quer has co-published a separate study in Nature of wearables that appear to be strongly predictive of COVID-19 based on patterns of resting heart rate, activity level, and amount of sleep. Both publications are based on limited data and are part of larger ongoing studies.
Wearable devices can also monitor social distancing. And this may be just the beginning for the public health uses of this consumer technology.
“Manufacturers of consumer wearable devices and manufacturers of smart watches are going to start doing more of this,” said Robert Furberg, who studies technology and public health at the nonprofit RTI International. “There is this compelling altruistic argument. And I think people will be interested in buying these devices. “
For now, different types of people who work in tight spaces are testing smart early warning devices together with researchers. Workers include nurses, retail and casino employees, and professional athletes.
What if the federal government does not provide more money to state and local governments in the next round of coronavirus relief?
Unlike the federal government, most state and local governments are subject to balanced budget requirements, which means that when revenues decline, they are forced to cut spending or raise taxes. Without federal assistance, falling revenues would likely result in further job losses, said Tracy Gordon, senior researcher at the Urban-Brookings Center for Fiscal Policy. State and local governments employ more workers than any other sector, Gordon said.
What does it take to persuade people to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
There is a saying in public health that vaccines don’t save lives, vaccines save lives. A recent Pew Research survey shows that 60% of Americans would definitely or likely receive a COVID-19 vaccine if one were available today. That’s an improvement, but 21% still said they don’t intend to get vaccinated and are “pretty sure” more information won’t change their mind. So what does it take? Build trust, said James Colgrove, a professor of public health at Columbia University. Getting famous people vaccinated in front of the camera is a tactic for that. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have already volunteered.
Are States Ready to Implement COVID-19 Vaccines?
Claire Hannan, executive director of the nonprofit Association of Immunization Managers, which represents state health officials, said states have come a long way in their preparations. And we could have several shots very soon. But states still need more funding, he said. Hannan doesn’t think that the lack of additional funding would delay the distribution initially, but it could cause problems in the future. “It is really concerning that Congress does not approve funds or that there is information circulating that states that states do not need additional funds,” he said.
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