So what can we do to see if we are infected? If you own the Apple Watch, you might want to check out the Cardiogram app. According to Johnson Hsieh, Cardiogram’s co-founder, “Cardiogram’s new Sleeping BPM feature can help users become more aware of how their body is responding to symptoms of the flu or other illnesses including COVID-19.”
Basically what happens is that when you’re sick, your heart rate will look different compared to when you are healthy. According to Hsieh, these changes in your heart rate are more notable during sleep, where your heart rate should be low, and seeing spikes or a faster heart rate could mean that something is wrong.
This app will not, we repeat, will not diagnose whether or not you have the COVID-19 virus. But rather, this app will let the wearer know if something is wrong and to allow them to better monitor their health. According to Hsieh, “We’re providing users with an additional tool to become more aware of how flu-like symptoms may be affecting their body through their heart rate patterns.”
If you’re interested in checking out the app, you can download it for free via the App Store. The Sleeping BPM will also be a free upgrade, but the app also offers a premium membership of $25 a year if they want remote monitoring and also exporting data to give to doctors.