How oximeters work and how effective are they at detecting COVID-19 | The NY Journal

One of the devices that began to disappear in many stores as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, along with masks and sanitizing gels, are the oximeters. But how safe is it to use this device to detect Covid-19? We’ll tell you then.

What is and how do oximeters work

A oximeter It is a device that helps to measure the levels of oxygen saturation in the blood, as stated by Dr. Felipe Villar Álvarez on the Webconsultas portal. In other words, this device measures the percentage of oxygen in the circulatory system.

This device must be placed in the most extreme part of one of the fingers of the hand, preferably that they do not have nail polish; or it can also be put on one of the toes or even on the lobe of one of the ears.

The device emits a series of lights that determine the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygenated blood absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the device, while deoxygenated blood absorbs red light. In this way, it is possible to determine the oxygen saturation. The use of a photodector makes this analysis, or scanning, possible.

Is it safe to prevent Covid-19?

The use of oximeter and its disappearance from many shelves is due to the belief that, as it is a respiratory problem, it is possible to detect it thanks to this device. However, as mentioned by Dr. Álvarez, the use of the oximeter is not decisive to detect the disease.

This is because oxygen saturation in the body varies for several reasons, either due to sports practices, other respiratory problems, and even sleeping.

Therefore, the use of this type of device does not determine that someone has the disease. What this specialist suggests is to be aware of changes in body temperature and other symptoms, such as loss of smell. In addition, it is necessary to maintain preventive measures, such as washing hands and the use of masks, to maintain a good Health.