UKHSA Study Suggests Sleep App Cough Data Can Provide Early Warning for Flu and COVID-19 Outbreaks

A joint research study by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Sleep Cycle, an AI sleep technology company, found that passively collected cough data from a consumer sleep app could serve as an early warning signal for respiratory illnesses like influenza and COVID-19. Rises in nighttime coughing were often observed about a week before increases in flu and COVID-19 activity, suggesting that digital health data can complement existing public health surveillance systems. The research was published as a medRxiv preprint.