I read the news that the Temasek Foundation provides an oximeter to every family in Singapore. It’s very interesting (every family in Singapore will get an oximeter for the Covid-19 pandemic on June 24. Monitor blood oxygen levels during the period).
Although I appreciate the charitable intent of this distribution, I don’t particularly believe in its benefits to the whole people, because most people do not need regular pulse oximetry monitoring.
I agree that home or pre-hospital blood oxygen saturation monitoring can help early detection of “silent pneumonia” in Covid-19. The World Health Organization recommends that household blood oxygen saturation monitoring should be considered in “symptomatic Covid-19 patients and patients who have not been hospitalized with risk factors for progression to serious illness.”
In the current situation in Singapore, all confirmed Covid-19 patients have been monitored in hospitals or other isolation facilities. When we move towards the “new normal”, it may be more beneficial to consider home blood oxygen monitoring. In this case , Infected people with mild symptoms can recover at home.
Even so, we should also pay attention to those who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or are at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19, such as known close contacts.
Although pulse oximeters are usually accurate, other factors that affect the accuracy of pulse oximetry readings need to be considered.
For example, as described in the Straits Times article, low blood oxygen levels may be caused by other underlying diseases or complications.
Other personal factors, such as nail polish or even darker skin, can cause inaccurate readings.
We should make sure to inform the public about the use of pulse oximeters and the correct way to interpret the results, while being aware of other symptoms that may worsen.
This will reduce unnecessary public anxiety. Considering the increased exposure of the hospital environment and the increased pressure on emergency services, it would be counterproductive for worried people to seek unnecessary emergency visits.
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Post time: Jul-22-2021