Life on earth is a precious thing, and when it’s gone it’s gone forever in its current form. COVID-19 is frustrating medical science, because it embeds in our bodies before symptoms show and we can seek help. Did you know pulse oximetry can save life in a pandemic by providing early warning signs? The technology is cheap. Everybody should have access to it at home for life’s sake.
Non-Invasive Pulse Oximetry Measures Blood Oxygen
Our lungs can start filling with fluid during a COVID-19 infection. This reduces their capacity to oxygenate our blood, leading potentially to a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can permanently damage our brain, liver and other organs if it worsens. And all the while we may think in error our breathlessness will pass.
Pulse oximetry can save lives in the pandemic by reading peoples’ peripheral oxygen saturation. This correlates sufficiently with advanced arterial blood gas analysis, to qualify as a reliable early warning signal. Self-drive pulse oximeters sell at drug stores and on the internet without prescription.
How Pulse Oximetry Could Save Life in the Pandemic
A pulse oximeter slips over one’s finger, or earlobe so easily it’s hard to believe it is happening. If you wore a finger guard in the past, then you will know what we mean. A simple, hand-held model could cost you maybe $30 to $40 plus batteries, which is a steal when we compare it to the cost of a life.
Doctors are rolling them out in the UK, with people over 65 getting them free. It’s a wonderful thought, being able to save lives of loved ones for such a small outlay. And avoiding becoming a spreader in these difficult times. Times when we simply can’t afford to overburden our healthcare resources.
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Preview Image: Hemoglobin Absorption Spectra
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