Staff at two San Francisco hospitals will be using wearable devices to provide early detection of the coronavirus, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The emergency workers at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF Medical Center will wear smart rings, made by Finnish startup Oura, that are able to detect body temperature and pulse, the Chronicle reported. The rings also monitor a person's sleep and movement.
An official with UCSF who is heading the project told the Chronicle the primary goal is to let ER professionals know if or when they're getting sick so they can stay home and avoid spreading an illness to others.
In the long term, officials hope to gather critical data from the rings that could help early detection of COVID-19, the newspaper says.
About 2,000 medical workers at the two San Francisco facilities are slated to wear the rings, the Chronicle said.
Oura, which is based in Finland and has an office in San Francisco, lists its smart ring at about $300, according to its website.
