Low levels of oxygen in the blood can be an early sign of worsening COVID-19.
- by
Jessica Lynch
With COVID-19 still circulating in the community thanks to the highly-contagious Omicron variant, more Australians are opting for at-home health devices in order to closely monitor any symptoms they may have.
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With low levels of oxygen in the blood being an early sign of worsening COVID-19, some health officials have now suggested the use of pulse oximeters – portable devices worn on the finger – to provide a measurement of oxygen in the bloodstream as many manage infections at home.
The device measures the user's oxygen saturation levels by clipping onto the finger and measuring of the colour of your blood.
Here's where you can buy a pulse oximeter in Australia.
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Blood carrying more oxygen (oxygenated blood) is a brighter red than the bluer de-oxygenated blood. The resulting number shows the percentage of oxygen in the blood compared to the maximum amount that can be carried.
Australian guidelines state that when oxygen saturation levels fall to 92 percent to 94 percent at rest, admission to hospital should be considered.
Dr Suzi Nou, an anaesthetist in Melbourne who has been managing Covid patients in the community, says: “Less than 92%, that is concerning: call an ambulance. Definitely seek medical attention.”
“In a non-pandemic world, if I had a patient who is otherwise fit and healthy and a bad chest or viral chest infection with saturations of 93%, I’d want to be looking into that,” she said, adding that people with lung conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis may have a baseline level lower than 94%.
Check out below to find out where you can pick up a pulse oximeter in Australia.
Jessica Lynch Jessie is New Idea's Senior Entertainment Producer who enjoys writing about everything from salacious celebrity scandals to Australia's best music from back in the day.