The CEDiD Study (COVID-19 Early Diagnosis in Doctors and Healthcare Workers)

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, doctors and other healthcare workers who work in COVID+ wards, intensive care unit and the accident and emergency department are at high risk of developing COVID-19 infection.

In April 2020, 14.6% of doctors were off sick with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, 17.9% of COVID+ patients are thought to be asymptomatic. Therefore, healthcare workers are also high-risk of spreading infection to patients, colleagues and their families.

This is a prospective observational cohort study that leverages wearable medical device technology and data analytics to develop an algorithm for early detection of COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers.

A total of 60 healthy healthcare workers working within high-risk COVID-19 clinical areas will be asked to wear a wearable medical device that measures their heart rate, skin temperature and sleep during non-working hours. They will take daily swabs for COVID-19 from themselves, measure their oxygen levels daily, and answer a survey of self-reported symptoms daily for the 30 day study period.

These will then be analyzed to develop an algorithm for early detection of COVID-19 in healthcare workers, and help to inform future workforce decisions, to promote welfare and prevent the spread of COVID-19.