Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic that has affected the lives of billions of people. Clinical studies have reported an association between COVID-19 and cardiac diseases. Remote monitoring powered by wearable sensors impacts medical care by enabling health monitoring outside of the clinic. Wearable devices can provide a noninvasive and continuous multi-parameter assessment of ECG, Heart Rate Variability, arterial blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate evaluation. Such monitoring may help predict and prevent cardiovascular events related to COVID-19 addresses the growing demand for a novel 5P (Predictive, Preventive, Participatory, Personalized, and Precision) medicine approach. This article aimed to review current and prospective advances in wearable devices for cardiac monitoring and their progress toward clinical application during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed bibliometric analysis by Scopus, the largest and well organized bibliographic database and analyzed the top-cited articles in this field. Our analysis includes an overview of the most widespread practical implications of CVD-focused remote patient monitoring techniques based on wearable personalized devices. Assessment for both COVID-related conditions and general cases is included in the analysis. Recent studies have reported that cardiac abnormalities present in 19.7-27.8 % of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 associated myocarditis and heart rate abnormalities frequently occur. Additionally, patients with pre-existing CVD and hypertension are at high risk of worse outcomes. Data from several studies have identified atrial fibrillation as the most common form of arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients. Worsening of existing atrial fibrillation in COVID-19 patients is also a serious clinical concern. Implementation of wearable ECG devices for remote monitoring can improve the management of patients with atrial fibrillation and those at high risk for its development. Telecardiology based on wearable devices and remote monitoring allow out-of-hospital control of COVID-19 patients and patients suffering from chronic diseases at high risk of acute cardiovascular events, ensuring their early detection and tracking.