Trade in your fitness tracker for a Covid-19 tracker? It might make sense

⇒ Issue #68

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 07/06: 107,394*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 07/06: 8,739*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 07/06: 11,471,225*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 07/06: 534,787*

July 6, 2020—Good morning from the Junction neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto, which is not to be confused with Conjunction Junction. The latter performs a different function. It's Chronicle assistant editor Dhiren Mahiban here with your Monday edition of the Daily CurveFlattener. I do indeed wear a fitness tracker on my wrist. But I'm asking myself if it might be time to consider a Covid-19 tracker.

Northwestern University researchers have developed a wearable device to catch early signs and symptoms associated with Covid-19; however, it is not your typical fitness tracker.

Lead researcher John Rogers and his team published a perspective in the journal Science Advances (July 1, 2020), which describes how they created a set of data algorithms specifically tailored to catch early signs of Covid-19. 

Credit: Northwestern University

The soft, flexible, wireless device is about the size of a postage stamp and sits below the suprasternal notch, an ideal location for monitoring respiratory health. 

The researchers also unveiled a wearable, flexible pulse oximeter to pair with the suprasternal-mounted device. The wearable allows physicians to continuously monitor for silent hypoxia, an often asymptomatic feature marked by low blood oxygen levels. This feature will provide a more complete picture of the disease's onset, progression and response to treatment.

"The device measures very tiny vibrations on the skin and has an embedded temperature sensor for fever," Rogers said in a press release. "As you cough and breathe, it counts coughs, monitors the intensity of cough and senses laboured breathing. The location on the thread also is close enough to the carotid artery that it can measure mechanical signatures of blood flow, monitoring heart rate."

Since the device was launched in April, the team tested it on 52 Covid-19 positive physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, and patients at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The wearable has been tested both in the hospital and at home. 

The team has collected 3,000 hours of data from these tests which will continue to strengthen the device's algorithms and become intelligent enough to distinguish between a Covid-19-like cough and more benign coughs from allergies, colds or dryness. 

They expect to test 500 subjects by the end of 2020. 

With the support of the Biomedical Advanced Research Deployment Authority, the research team will submit the device, and associated algorithms, for U.S. FDA appraisal later this month.  

COVID CHRONICLE 07/06/2020

• Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Washington, D.C. have discovered a specific change in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus virus genome, previously associated with increased viral transmission and the spread of Covid-19, is more infectious in cell culture. A study published in the journal Cell (July 2, 2020) showed the variant in question, D614G, makes a small but effective change in the virus' 'spike' protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. The findings suggest the newer form of the virus may be even more readily transmitted than the original form, but this has yet to be confirmed. 
• A U.S.-wide survey led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assessing the effects of Covid-19 on the emotional wellbeing of American adults shows 90% of survey respondents reported experiencing emotional distress related to the pandemic. The survey published in the U.S. National Pandemic Emotional Impact Report (June 29, 2020) was deployed to gain insight into how individuals are responding to the stressors of isolation and quarantine. 
• A review of the evidence base for the Covid-19 antibody test found major weaknesses, according to a team of researchers. Investigators from Brazil, Canada, and the U.S. say the evidence is particularly week for point-of-care tests (performed directly with a patient, outside of a laboratory) and do not support its continued use. The review was published in the British Medical Journal (July 1, 2020).

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

Over at www.Derm.City, we have a post on the impact of facial skin protectants on the qualitative fit testing of N95 masks. A study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School found the use of skin protectants to prevent skin irritation can interfere with the fit of the N95 respirator masks. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

Episode 2 of the This is not a Drake Podcast on how the mix-tape went digital. Hosted by Ty Harper, the pod breaks down seminal moments in Drake's career to explore the broader history and evolution of hip-hop, R&B, gender dynamics and Black culture. 

LATER WE'RE READING...

We're finishing up The Cost of these Dreams, an anthology of stories from sportswriter Wright Thompson. 

TONIGHT WE'RE EATING... 

Leftovers of this delicious tuna noodle casserole we made during the weekend. 

AND HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Please make use of the comments section at the Daily CurveFlattener, to let us know what you're up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to your colleagues.

That's it. Stay in touch, stay safe. My colleague Jeremy Visser will be in this space tomorrow with your Tuesday edition of the Daily CurveFlattener.