Fitbit, NASA tie up for COVID-19 vigilance among astronauts, mission-critical employees

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is working on a Pilot programme with Fitbit and Fitbit’s Ready for Work system for a thousand employees of the space agency. As per a statement by the company, the Ready for Work solution is part of an effort to help employees make informed decisions about going to work onsite during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the programme, 1,000 NASA employees performing mission-critical work at six locations across the United States will receive Fitbit Charge 4 devices and will be able to access Fitbit’s Ready for Work Daily Check-In experience, the statement adds. The in-app Daily Check-In feature allows users to log their symptoms and temperature as well as rack key health metrics, and receive summarised COVID-19 guidance based on CDC guidelines. The Fitbit Ready for Work Daily Check-In feature allows users observe key health parameters like resting heart rate, breathing rate and heart rate variability, which is tracked by their Fitbit device. [caption id=“attachment_9297571” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Ready for Work program. Image: Fitbit[/caption] Among those participating in the NASA-Fitbit project are 150 astronauts and employees at the space agency critical to future space missions, under the NASA Health Stabilization Program, Fitbit said. The program is aimed at mitigating the risk of falling ill with an infectious disease that can be transmitted to astronaut flight crews in the critical preflight period. According to the company, the goal of the Fitbit pilot programme is to help NASA and its employees prevent the spread of COVID-19 while also supporting their overall health and wellbeing. According to Amy McDonough, Managing Director and General Manager of Fitbit Health Solutions at Google, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical role Fitbits can play in supporting people have a better life with proper sleep, eating habits and, in general, take control of their health and wellness in a better manner for a healthier lifestyle.