NASA Uses Fitbits to Monitor Health & Prevent COVID-19 Spread

NASA Launches Fitbit Pilot Program for Employee Health Monitoring

NASA is initiating a pilot program involving 1,000 personnel, encompassing 150 astronauts, who will be equipped with Fitbit devices.

The objective is to evaluate the potential of these wearables to enhance existing health maintenance strategies for mission-critical staff prior to significant space missions.

Program Details and Functionality

Participants will receive a wearable device and access to a dedicated daily check-in application.

This app will facilitate the logging of potential symptoms, body temperature, and other vital health metrics.

The collected data aims to enable the early identification of developing health issues.

Existing COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts

NASA has already implemented various measures to protect its workforce, including the isolation of astronauts.

Efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 are in place across all NASA facilities located throughout the United States.

The agency adheres to local COVID-19 guidelines and has also established its own tiered system of protocols.

Remote work options have been expanded for many employees where feasible.

Enhanced Astronaut Isolation Procedures

Existing isolation and quarantine procedures for astronauts have been strengthened.

These enhanced protocols are designed to ensure the health of spacefarers before their journeys to the International Space Station.

Fitbit Data and Health Metrics

The new Fitbit program will track key health indicators, including resting heart rate and heart rate variability.

Respiratory rate will also be monitored, as changes in these metrics have been correlated with COVID-19.

Self-reported data, including symptom reporting, will be combined with these tracked metrics.

App-Based Guidance and Recommendations

The application will analyze the collected data to provide users with personalized guidance.

Recommendations will advise participants on whether to report to work or to self-isolate and seek further evaluation for potential COVID-19 infection.

Ongoing Fitbit Research

Fitbit is currently conducting studies to assess the utility of its devices in early COVID-19 detection.

Regardless of these study outcomes, the combination of self-reporting and baseline health data is expected to be valuable.

This data will serve as a supplement to existing self-assessment tools for gauging individual risk levels.

The primary goal is to support responsible behavior regarding potential exposure to others when feeling unwell, which is the core focus of this NASA program.