Italy trials electronic bracelet for Covid-19 patients

The infected person is monitored 24 hours a day and essential parameters such as oxygenation, heart rate, saturmetry signal quality index and body temperature are transmitted every five minutes, via smartphones, to health operators and a team of doctors.

Monitoring is done automatically by the system and, when it detects a negative trend, it alerts the central unit.

The bracelet is disposable, works for 10 days, and is aimed at positive patients who can stay at home but whose condition could worsen and need monitoring.

The patient must have a smartphone and is requested to answer questions from doctors via phone or Whatsapp.

If the person is unable to do so for whatever reason, the emergency department sends up a red flag and dispatches a doctor to the patient's home.

The bracelet is expected to relieve pressure on emergency rooms but also provide a psychological crutch for patients coping with a disease that often generates anxiety and distress.

Currently 200 bracelets are being activated in the city of Arrezzo and the project will soon be extended to two other cities in Tuscany: Siena and Grosseto.