What you need to know Apple announced an Apple Watch study to see if the device can detect diseases like COVID-19 back in September. A study in partnership with the University of Washington and Seattle Flu Study is now accepting volunteers. An Apple Watch study announced in September to see whether the device can detect diseases like COVID-19 is now taking applications for volunteers. Researchers at the University of Washington are seeking King County residents to participate in a respiratory health study using data collected from Apple Watches. The study examines if, and how, an Apple Watch can detect early warning signs of acute respiratory infections, such as COVID-19 and flu, according to UW Medicine's Brotman Baty Institute.