Pulse oximetry monitors a person’s oxygen saturation in their blood. This safe, non-invasive method is popular in health clinic screening. First, an operator places a sensor device connected to an oximeter across a fingertip or earlobe of a patient’s body. Then the device passes two wavelengths of light through the device to measure the oxygen in their blood. Perhaps an oximeter could become part of daily living for us too during Covid-19.
How a Simple Oximeter Could Become Part of Daily Living
We are talking about the basic model that’s popular among top-end athletes here. This is a far simpler version than the co-oximeter that diagnoses patients at a more comprehensive level.
CDC recommends giving basic oximeters to self-isolating patients from this month onward, to reserve hospital beds for those with more serious symptoms. Perhaps an oximeter should become part of all our daily living? We’ve seen them on sale on Amazon for $35 to $60 although we can’t confirm their quality or effectiveness.
Brazil Health Officials Order Mass Monitoring of Blood Oxygen
Health authorities in Brazil have growing concerns about Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms. This is because some have dangerously low blood-oxygen levels despite their status. Doctors worldwide have also begun warning about this condition they call ‘silent hypoxia’. This does not always cause shortness of breath, and can delay treatment.
Moreover, people with co-morbidity including coronary artery disease, diabetes, embolism, thrombosis, and tobacco smoking are at greater risk from the condition. It can lead to body cells dying without medical treatment. Taken together, it seems increasingly possible an oximeter could become part of our daily living at work and home.
Feedback from Brazil via Financial Times confirms the situation is increasingly serious there. As available hospital beds dry up, doctors are telling patients with mild symptoms to go back home. They are giving them oximeters instead, but telling them seek help if they have difficulty breathing. We fear for the safety of people in the heart of the epidemic there.
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Preview Image: Wearable Pulse Oximeter
