An Apple Watch a day may keep the doctor away.
Following the iOS 11 software update, Apple Watch users are shocked and delighted at a new feature that predicts the flu and COVID days before symptoms start.
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Owning an Apple Watch is already like having a doctor on your wrist.
The watch has been praised for its groundbreaking features, such as identifying heart problems and detecting falls in the elderly.
In 2022, TikTok user @brendolicious went viral for sharing his mother’s story of how the Apple Watch saved her life.
In the video, which has garnered millions of views, the mother explained that her watch alerted her of atrial fibrillation (AFIB).
Also known as an irregular and rapid heart rhythm, this heart condition can lead to severe issues if left untreated. In the hospital video, the thankful mother joked that her story should be an Apple Watch commercial.
With the latest iOS 11 software update, the Apple Watch just got smarter.
The advanced software in the Apple Watch’s Vital app — only available on Series 8 models and above — monitors a person’s health by analyzing several metrics.
This includes heart rate, sleep duration, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and blood oxygen.
The new feature has spooked Apple Watch users by pinpointing when they get sick.
“The Vitals app knew I was sick 3 days before I did,” wrote Reddit u/dalethomas81. The user included a screenshot of the detects via the Vital app. Documented between September 30 and October 6, the three outliers all belonged to wrist temperature.
Other amazed Apple Watch users shared similar stories.
“I started using Vitals when it first came out on the beta and since then I’ve gotten sick about twice,” this user wrote.
“Both times it knew a couple days in advance and I hadn’t felt anything wrong. Kinda insane how useful this feature can be.”
Another claimed that their Apple Watch detected when they weren’t feeling their best following their COVID and flu shots.
They alerted the user to this by spotting irregularities in wrist temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Nipun Malhotra took to X to praise Apple’s technology.
“I woke up with mild fever and a viral today morning. Blown away by how advanced tech has become,” they wrote.
“My @Apple Watch detected something was off before I even felt sick. Technology is really revolutionising healthcare. Exciting times ahead!”
With cold and flu season quickly approaching, now may be the time to invest in an Apple Watch!
