Global wearables giant Fitbit has announced it is partaking in a pilot scheme with US space agency NASA to help protect the health of astronauts and other staff.
The scheme will see Fitbit distribute 1000 smart wearable devices to establish if they significantly contribute to the health and safety of employees in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Selected NASA staff – including 150 astronauts – will use a Fitbit device to track vital data which could indicate potential symptoms of COVID-19.
According to Fitbit, there is evidence resting heart rate data and other key health indicators from wearables have the potential to identify flu-like illness such as COVID-19 before symptoms emerge.
Users can be notified by the Fitbit app to either isolate or go to work. It can also advise on getting tested for the virus.
“The pandemic has underscored the critical role that Fitbit can play in providing much-needed support to help people sleep better, eat better, move more and take control of their health and wellness, as well as the potential to identify illness from specific health metrics, which is especially important now during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Amy McDonough, Managing Director and General Manager, Fitbit Health Solutions at Google.
“We are proud to work with NASA to support its employees and give them access to Fitbit products and services to help them better understand and manage their health and well-being during the pandemic.”
NASA will evaluate the pilot program and consider expanding to a larger employee population based on the impact the program has on helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and in supporting the health and wellness of NASA employees.
