Researchers from ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the ISI Foundation have developed an advanced wearable tracking system to identify infection transmission risks in healthcare facilities. The system combines ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology with software from the SocioPatterns collaboration to map contact patterns among hospital staff with high spatial (about 10cm) and temporal (about 5 seconds) precision.
The technology has been tested in hospitals in Switzerland (Kantonsspital St. Gallen infectious diseases clinic), Kenya, and Ivory Coast. The system can detect high-risk interactions defined during the COVID-19 pandemic as contacts lasting 15+ minutes at distances under 150 centimeters. Hospital administrators can use the data to implement targeted prevention measures, such as evaluating the effectiveness of masking policies, different mask types, and hand hygiene protocols. More details are available in the ETH Zurich news article.