$300 Smart Ring May Detect Coronavirus 3 Days Before Symptoms Show

June 25, 2020

A smart ring that monitors the wearer’s overall health and reportedly detects early symptoms of COVID-19 is available for $300.

The ring and its benefits: Oura Ring, created by Finnish health technology company Oura Health, is equipped with advanced sensor technology that monitors the wearer’s “Readiness, Sleep, and Activity” through a smartphone app, according to its website.

The ring works in both day time and night time.
During sleep, the ring records the wearer’s resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, body temperature deviation, sleep stages, timing, duration, and quality as well as restless movement detection and ideal bedtime guidance.
During the day, it records the person’s activity levels, calories, steps, inactivity time and alerts as well as automatic detection of restful moments like naps.
It can also reportedly detect a possible COVID-19 infection three days before symptoms start to show.
“It started with our users,” Harpreet Rai, CEO of Oura Health, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “One user of ours in Finland was traveling in early March. His scores were normally in the 80s or 90s and he noticed his readiness score dropped to 50 and that caused him to get tested. He was positive for coronavirus.”
Oura Ring’s wellness assessment can help determine if the wearer may be at higher risk of contracting the virus or showing signs of infection.
The company, in partnership with West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) and WVU Medicine, also launched a study in April that predicts the outbreak of the virus among frontline workers.
This study monitored more than 1,000 healthcare workers fighting against the pandemic in West Virginia, New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville and other critical areas.
“Our AI-driven models are currently predicting symptoms 24 hours prior to onset, and we are working toward a three-plus day forecast,” Ali Rezai, M.D., executive chair of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, said. “This forecasting capability will help us get ahead of this pandemic; limit the spread to protect healthcare workers, their families, and our communities; and improve our understanding of health recovery.”
The Oura Ring can reportedly recognize COVID-19 symptoms with 90% accuracy.
In addition to its tracking capabilities, Oura Ring will also come with a meditation feature in the app to help reduce stress and anxiety.
Although other doctors have yet to comment on the effectiveness of Oura Ring, the NBA has ordered more than 1,000 rings for players and staff, CNN reported.

About the CEO: Rai, who is based in San Francisco, reportedly has a long background in finance, according to PR News Wire.

He previously worked at Morgan Stanley as part of its merger and acquisition (M&A) group.
Rai then worked at the multi-billion dollar New York-based hedge fund Eminence Capital for nine years and led investments in technology, media and telecom.
In 2017, he joined Ouraring Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Oura Health, as its president.
The following year, he became Oura Health’s CEO.

Feature Image (left) via Oura Ring, (right) via Tom Bilyeu

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