Apple has clearly set its sights on preparing its smartwatch with technology that essentially serves to keep an eye on people's health and well-being. The path has been paved and several companies today have devices capable of acting on the same goal.

In fact, since the beginning of the pandemic we have seen various studies focusing its attention on whether these gadgets could be used to help in the fight against the spread of the disease. A NASA bet on it and Apple has equipped its latest model with an important sensor to determine the presence of the disease.

A new paper published in the journal JAMA Network Open highlights that wearables like the Apple Watch and Fitbit may also provide data on the long-term effects of COVID-19.

As first reported by New York TimesThe new data comes from the Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment (DETECT) trial conducted by scientists at the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California.

This study was conducted from March 25, 2020 to January 24, 2021 and included over 37,000 people who wore Fitbit, Apple Watch and other wearables. The study was developed by the research application MyDataHelps.

The researchers are digging deeper into the results in the data that have a focus on the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 on health - often referred to as "long COVID." Thus, the experts have come to the conclusion that data from Fitbit users has allowed them to realize that the device can detect long-lasting changes.

The researchers first reported in October that combining Apple Watch and Fitbit data with self-reported symptoms led to more accurate detection of COVID-19 cases than focusing purely on symptoms.