That Fitbit, smartwatch or other device that many of us wear around our wrist to count our steps, calories burned and other fitness metrics on a daily basis may prove to be an ideal tool for transmitting other significant diagnostic information about our health. And a new study by Scripps Research Translational Institute published in Nature suggests that such information may include whether we have COVID-19. Specifically, the study finds that a smartphone application (or “app”) in combination with passively collected physiologic data from wearable devices, such as fitness trackers, is capable of determining whether a person reporting symptoms is positive or negative for COVID-19. The Diagnostic Challenge When it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19, widespread testing and time are of the essence. Cases must be rapidly and reliably diagnosed so that persons who have or have had recent exposure to somebody has the virus know this information and can go into immediate self-isolation before they expose other people. However, current COVID-19 testing technology lacks the necessary scalability, rapidity and reliability to make this possible. In addition, current COVID-19 screening at the point of care relies on survey questions about symptoms, recent exposure and travel history (and […]