Smartphone Thermometer Tracks Fever Spikes To Help Get Ahead Of Pandemics, Like Coronavirus

(CBS) -- A company's smart thermometer is being used as an early warning system for fever spikes to help get ahead of widespread illness and pandemics, like the coronavirus.

Inder Singh, CEO & Founder of the California-based company Kinsa, said the data and their Health Weather Map can predict the spread of the flu about two weeks before the CDC.

"It's like a lightbulb going off on a map," Singh said.

The smartphone thermometer data and map tracks both general and atypical levels of fever. The map is searchable by zip codes across the country.

In one example, their map tracked a cluster of fever spikes in South Florida and within days, the area began to see an increase confirmed cases of the coronavirus, he said.

Fevers are a key symptom of the coronavirus, and while the smart thermometer data does not track coronavirus cases, it can guide communities, pharmacies and government agencies to areas they should examine and allocate resources if necessary.

"That is a really important warning sign," Singh said. "It's saying, hey, something is going on here and it's unusual, its growing fast – go send testing kits in, go send resources there."

It can also help steer people to the appropriate care based on their age and fever temperature, and can assist with alleviating congestion in hospital emergency rooms.

In Illinois,  five people have died from the coronavirus and 585 have been tested positive as of Friday.

According to Kinsa's map, observed influenza-like illness is considered "moderate" across the majority of Illinois, with the exceptions of Green and Jersey counties, which are categorized as "high."

Communities can also use the map to see the degree to which these levels are higher than the typical levels expected at this point in the flu season in their area. On Thursday, Cook County was at 5.38 percent, which is less than 1 percent above the national level of illness. However, the company said communities should still take caution to stop the spread.

"We need this to get ahead of the next outbreak," said the company's spokesperson Nita Nehru. "We need early warning systems to deploy resources, to take appropriate action and to stop the spread.

Created in 2013, Kinsa's product is the first FDA-cleared, app-enabled thermometer. The company sells two thermometers: one that can have a temperature reading in eight seconds and another that needs just one second to read your temperature.

Once users download the free app and pair the thermometer, users can set up a profile. The app allows the user to track the health history of multiple family members and will give guidance based on age and fever level.

The company said their data is precise and real-time. At one point, they said the company was getting more than 100,000 temperature readings per day during the coronavirus outbreak.

Users will need to opt in and share their location in order to use the smart thermometer. The company said the data used for their mapping is aggregated and anonymized to protect privacy (here's what the company says they will and won't do with your data).

The World Health Organization estimates infectious disease kills more than 17 million people globally every year. Singh said the company's goal is to stop the spread of infectious illness and have real-time information to mobilize resources where they're needed.

You can read more about Kinsa and the smart thermometer here. The company said the product is currently sold out but can be pre-ordered on its website.