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Apple has likely spO2 data as well as heart rate data form millions of Apple Watch users that can be used to partially diagnose this infection.
The watch is capable of measuring spO2 even if it’s not displaying the information and even if it’s no 100% accurate drops over a large enough time period combined with elevated heart rate would indicate a respiratory infection.
Whilst I agree that the data isn’t useful for most individuals releasing it to authorities around the world after anonymization would likely be quite valuable.
I might have had a mild infection don’t know if it was COVID-19 but it was A respiratory infection for sure.
Myself and my girlfriend were sick she had a fever I barely registered above normal we had coughs, sore throat I still can’t smell smoked salmon and she has stomach issues too.
It’s pretty much all gone now but one thing for sure we both had pretty high resting heart rate, as high as 110 during the worst of it.
My normal awake resting rate is around 65, it’s still around 80 despite all symptoms going away and trying to do some pushups today I realized that I’m extremely weak despite not feeling bad.
I usually do 5 sets of 20 pushups (controller, full range of motion) with a 50lbs resistance band today I felt myself gasping for air after 8-10.
I was under the impression that Apple Health is designed so that Apple itself doesn't have access to this data, even in aggregate. Is that not the case?
That's the case. The only way that they would get this is through a research study with explicit consent/opt-in.
The data still exists even it’s just on the phone/watch I have years of historic health data form multiple devices which I would gladly share with PHE or the NHS and any other health agency local or not if it will be useful to them.
You can opt-in to sharing data via the Apple Research app.
They could issue a software update that changes this.
It's closed source software, it could do either thing.
Even though the watches have the technical ability to measure spO2 right now, I’m not sure that’s even recorded anywhere. On the bright side there are references to it in iOS 14, so it might be coming soon.
Interesting. Garmin watches have had this for a while. I've confirmed but am surprised that it doesn't automatically sync up to the Apple Health app.
> might be coming soon
No way they gonna let you use existing hardware
What kind of stomach issues does the virus cause?
How old are you? Asking for the data.
They need to activate the spO2 monitor. Game changer for everyone right now.
Tbh if you have low sats, most people know about it from symptoms (excluding people with COPD and other co2 retaining conditions). For the vast majority I don’t see Spo2 being particularly helpful in changing any decision.
Contact tracing [1] is difficult in the middle of a pandemic from a cost-benefit standpoint.
[1]: https://www.who.int/features/qa/contact-tracing/en/
But if we succeed with strong enough measures to suppress COVID-19 within a few months, contact tracing will be critical to reduce the risk of rebound as we reopen our society.
I propose that Apple and Google together gets a head start on contact tracing. Singapore released the TraceTogether app (Android, iOS) for its citizens, but ideally we could have a tool deployed by default in Android and iOS. Does anyone know if Google and Apple are working on this?
(Apple’s Find My solution — with public keys broadcast and collected whether phone/GPS is on/off — might contain the right building blocks for contact tracing. But I’d leave it to top engineers at Apple and Google to build a better solution than what I can come up with alone.)
That's terrible from a privacy standpoint. May be I don't want to give up my location.
> Does anyone know if Google and Apple are working on this?
It would probably illegal to create an app for contact tracing. E.g. it's legal for Apple to have an iPhone app called Reminders, but if they were marketing it as a tool to help people to remember to take their medication then that would be illegal because it hasn't undergone testing to prove that it increases medication adherence or whatever. That's why the FDA banned doctors from using checklists to remind them to wash their hands before surgery.
Apparently COVID-19 is only a problem in the United States, because I can’t download this app from the Canadian App Store. I understand there might be legal issues involved, but it’s still a bit of a disappointment.
Both the Federal and Provincial governments have comparable self-assessment tools on their websites. This doesn't appear to be much more sophisticated than that:
Here's the Federal self-assessment: https://ca.thrive.health/covid19/en
Though you can access the website from Canada.
Here in Portugal, 2500+ volunteers are building solutions for the virus. From arranging free housing for medical staff to a self assessment app. If your government is slow to deploy tech solutions, I urge you to unite, bootstrap the project and hand it over to the government as soon as it gets enough traction.
If you want to help Portugal, you can join in https://tech4covid19.org
Unfortunately Apple and Google are banning non-government COVID-19 apps from their app stores. Are you having any luck getting past review?
I wish the privacy policy linked to a site-specific one, not the generic /legal/privacy.
Perhaps they couldn't get lawyers in time.
Edit: oh, if you start screening there is a site-specific one if you click "Learn more" next to "Your answers will not be shared with Apple or the CDC without your permission."?
We need a bluetooth tracker of sorts that can alarm people if they get too close. Only Apple (or privacy focused) companies can do this responsibly, without uploading any data and keeping everything in the secure enclave. Messages over bluetooth are encrypted and simply contain nothing but the proximity data. But there is a problem:
1. If you're already showing symptoms, you're gonna isolate yourself
2. Coronavirus spreads during incubation period.
Giving access to contacts is the only way to get traceability even then you meet and greet people who we don't keep in the contacts (Grocery store clerk).
No thanks. This is a social problem, not a tech challenge.
> We need a bluetooth tracker of sorts that can alarm people if they get too close.
Why do you need an app and Bluetooth for this, don't you have eyes and ears lmao
This is very similar to https://CheckForCorona.com
The team at Luminare (https://luminaremed.com) has been working with epidemiologists and doctors from Harris County and the City of Houston to build out a screening tool to help prioritize public testing. We are doing about ~10k screenings per day and ready to ramp up as more testing becomes available: https://checkforcorona.com/harris-county
We are providing this tool free for any hospital or public health organization that needs it. Please reach out if you have any connections!
boring, not much to this. I suppose another avenue to access the same information (how many hundreds of sites telling ppl to social distance for weeks) is fine but the assessment tool is what, a Q&A form using same path as gov sites are already using in Canada, UK etc...open sourced forms too
Shrug apple marketing.
A lot of people would love to have an all-in-one app that can assuage fears on what to do next amidst a potential slew of symptoms. You can even tailor it to answer questions for a loved one. Not sure what’s so “Apple marketing” about it aside from genuinely caring about people during this time of crisis.
> Shrug apple marketing
It's a standard press release.
Why does this need an app? Apart from a web browser, of course.
Broader reach, Apple has this as the top story when you tap on the App Store. Plus a smoother/more consistent UI on their own platform. The website works fine on mobile but the app is way better.
I, for one, would love to volunteer my health information from my Watch to help - if it’s possible that it would help in any way.
Still no widespread testing..
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Unless they were apps from a trusted source, such as an official app from CDC, this is the proper course of action.
Didn't know that Apple was working on this. I'm not a huge Apple fan but they certainly did the right thing by not telling Trump (of whom I'm neither a fan nor a hater) or by having a strong NDA to cover the work so that it couldn't be announced...
they certainly did the right thing by not telling Trump
At the bottom it reads, "Developed With CDC, The White House, FEMA"
They should have picked a credible source of information.
I can't believe I'm typing that about the CDC...
What has happened with the CDC that I have missed?
Any suggestions for other sources?
Explains why Apple seems to be blocking all other COVID-19 related apps. We’re seeing most people in our ecosystem (Ionic) turn to deploying their apps as PWAs in the short term
Sure. Apple is after all that free app money from their free app.
It can’t possibly be because their app was developed with government guidance and they have no reasonable way to auditing all the 3rd party apps for accuracy and safety in a reasonable timeframe.
Its great that US companies are trying to help during times like these, but it feels strange that companies are filling in the gaps left by American government.
Like why do we have a Google website with CDC information and an Apple website with CDC information? Why not have a single place that we send people? It seems like we should have a single, cross platform app/website that is CDC branded versus Company X branded.
That's been available for quite some time: https://www.coronavirus.gov/