The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients

There is a way we could identify more patients who have Covid pneumonia sooner and treat them more effectively — and it would not require waiting for a coronavirus test at a hospital or doctor’s office. It requires detecting silent hypoxia early through a common medical device that can be purchased without a prescription at most pharmacies: a pulse oximeter.
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Here’s why some experts say that it is probably not required:

**Having a Pulse oximeter at home wouldn’t be really helpful in detecting the deadly novel coronavirus and probably might not be a good early indicator if someone has the infection.

**Oxygen levels are relatively late indicators that an individual might have COVID-19.

**Those with COVID-19 might experience other symptoms such as fever, body aches, dry cough, or fatigue that would prompt them to seek medical attention much earlier before noticing a drop in their blood oxygen levels.

**Individuals using the devices at home could possibly find inaccurate readings.

**Several other factors including poor circulation, cold hands, artificial nails or nail polish could interfere with the light used by the devices and yield inaccurate numbers.

What’s a Pulse Oximeter, and Do I Really Need One at Home?

And home monitoring should not give you a false sense of security. Don’t ignore physical symptoms even if your oxygen level is fine. You should still call a doctor if you have severe shortness of breath, a high fever, confusion or any other concerning symptom. The benefit of monitoring is that it potentially can flag a decline in your respiratory health before you feel it. And if you feel really lousy — as many Covid patients do for a few weeks — seeing a normal oxygen level can relieve some of the stress of the illness.