Wearables to Fight COVID-19: From Symptom Tracking to Contact Tracing

The new coronavirus pandemic has promoted the new development of mobile and wearable computing in unprecedented ways. Researchers discuss how on-body devices can help to fight the pandemic and may stay as a toolset to effectively deal with infectious diseases in the future. The article focuses on the existing and newly created wearable devices and smartphone apps for everyday use. For researchers and public health authorities, symptom screening and tracking based on continuous sensor data from wearables and smartphones can provide insight into a possible infection of individuals. Also important are methods for social distancing and digital contact tracing, devices and apps for managing quarantine/self-isolation, and clinical management. The wearable sensors used in health management become interesting platforms for infectious disease tracking. Data that can deliver markers of influenza-like symptoms is readily available from wearables, including sleep duration, activity types and intensities, and daily routine changes.