Project description
Timely diagnosis of COVID-19 with wearable devices
The early detection of COVID-19 could reduce its proliferation and expedite medical attention. The EU-funded COVID-RED project intends to deploy and test a wearable device for the remote early detection of COVID-19 in a study of 20 000 people, including 7 000 high-risk individuals. The device monitors vital signs and includes a mobile application for users to report symptoms. The data collected will be analysed by an algorithm to pinpoint those who should seek medical treatment. To confirm the algorithm’s accuracy, participants will undergo testing for COVID-19 antibodies. Ultimately, this project will limit the effects of COVID-19 and can be used to develop diagnostics for other ailments.
Objective
In this project, we will evaluate the use and performance of a CE-marked device (wearable), which uses sensors to measure breathing rate, pulse rate, skin temperature, and heart rate variability for the purpose of early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 in general and high-risk populations. At the same time, a mobile application will be used to track participant-reported symptoms. A prospective, observational study will follow 13,000 individuals from the general population and 7,000 high-risk individuals wearing the device and responding to participant self-report parameters via a purpose-designed app. Based on this data, an algorithm will indicate which individuals likely require general practitioner (GP) care (for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, further vital signs assessment, and/or treatment) and/or hospital care. To evaluate algorithm performance, the cohort will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies at the end of follow-up. COVID-19 seropositivity in the intervention cohort will be compared seropositivity in a control population of 20,000 individuals drawn from the same populations using the application only. Thus, this project will deliver a large body of information on COVID-19 PCR testing and antibodies that can be used to develop additional diagnostics and therapeutics in addition to validating remote vital signs and self-reported symptoms monitoring systems.
Fields of science
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Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
3584 CX Utrecht
Netherlands