Despite the incredible benefits of a smartwatch, a considerable amount of people still consider the purchase a waste of money. Regardless, according to some reputable research institutes, smartwatches could as well be our way out of the lockdown. 

Albeit, research is being conducted for ways to detect COVID symptoms in the wearer, a smartwatch can still help not only to monitor your health but also to prevent the virus itself. Let’s guide you through it.

HEART-RATE MONITOR

An elevated heart rate could not only indicate an irregularity in the body— such as an infection, but it could be one of the early signs of the COVID-19 virus. Usually, a faster beating heart points to illnesses such as flu, the common cold, and of course — coronavirus. The compiled data from one of the smartwatch brands ‘Fitbit’ stipulates how the heart rate and sleep data significantly improved the predictions for influenza. Moreover, the shared data from such apps can enable health-related organizations to take action in locations where clusters of such abnormalities can be observed.

THERMOMETER

One of the significant symptoms of the coronavirus is the fever it induces on the affected person. So, unless you’re willing to have a thermometer on you all day, the idea of having an electronic wearable thermometer seems too good to be true, right? Modern smartwatches include a thermal sensor, which helps record your body temperature throughout the day. The watches make entirely accurate readings manually in around 10 seconds, while automatically, it takes readings every hour.

BLOOD PRESSURE SENSOR

Analytics reveals that people with a weak immune system, or suffering from any other diseases, are more likely to be infected by the coronavirus. One such condition is high blood pressure. Possessing a smartwatch makes life more convenient by having an on-the-go blood pressure gauge— or sensor, in this case. The watch can monitor and will actively measure your blood pressure, alarming you if any aberration gets observed.

STRESS MONITOR

With the current state of the world and the never-ending lockdown, stress levels for all of us are consistently high, and there is nothing more harmful to the body than being heavily stressed and anxious. Where a smartwatch comes into the picture is that it tracks the hormones that are responsible for controlling your stress levels. Not all smartwatches have this feature; for example, Garmin Vivo smart 4 comes with a highlight feature called the “Relax Reminder.” It helps regulate your stress levels by only having you take a short break from whatever it is you are doing. 

REMOTE PAYMENT

As social distancing is being practiced all around the globe, avoiding any kind of contact is very crucial. One mistake could not only affect you but your loved ones as well. But how does a smartwatch prevent that? It does so by making remote payments possible. Rather than pulling out your wallet and providing your credit card, simply use the NFC to make the payments without having to make any physical contact. It also prevents any kind of pocket-picking or theft opportunities, as you can be at ease and leave your wallet at home. 

REMINDERS AND ALARMS

What better a countermeasure against COVID than keeping oneself clean and hygienic? Since no vaccines are available to fight against the virus, the only means of prevention we have are by keeping ourselves clean and strengthening our immune system. The advantages of having a wearable device to remind you every few hours to perform specified acts, such as— washing your hands, certainly make life a lot easier, especially in times as dire as this.

Moreover, we all know we ought to exercise; however, maintaining the routine is the hardest part. Setting workout reminders might as well be the push we need to turn this fantastic goal into a great habit. The benefit of having a wearable to remind you of this is that convenient, unlike a smartphone, missing a reminder is just not possible.     

HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

Merely possessing a smartwatch helps promote a plethora of health benefits. A built-in pedometer— to measure the number of steps you walked, allowing you to set a particular goal and see through to it. Tracking activity has never been this easy. The newer generation of watches even has dedicated modes such as walking, jogging, swimming, and weight-lifting, and so on. Furthermore, they also permit you to keep track of your diet and nutrition. That includes a record of the caloric intake and the calories burnt. 

CONCLUSION

Although smartwatches have been around for some time now, I do believe they are still in their early stages. Since people, even today, are oblivious to the features and advantages of owning a smartwatch, it will take time for smartwatches to become a necessity rather than a luxury. With the amount of effort put into using the watches to monitor and avoid COVID-19, this might as well be the breakthrough smartwatches require.