The £20 gadget that could prove a lifesaver in coronavirus crisis – by checking your lungs
A GADGET that costs less than £20 could prove to be a lifesaver during the coronavirus crisis, a leading doctor has claimed.
Pulse oximeters clip over the fingertip or ear to measure blood oxygen levels in the body and tell you how well the heart and lungs are working.
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Pulse oximeters work by emitting a beat of light through the finger to a sensor on the other side of the unit.
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Oxygenated and unoxygenated blood absorbs light differently, so the device looks at the pattern of light to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood.
That reading is then displayed on its digital screen.
A number above 95 per cent is normal for a healthy person at rest.
But for people with conditions that cause breathing difficulties - often categorised under the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - the figure can be much lower.
This is vital because the device can pick up falling blood oxygen levels before a patient shows symptoms - such as breathlessness or blueness of the lips or fingers.
Dr Summerton said that monitoring blood oxygen levels could provide an early warning that their condition is deteriorating.
He recommends that when someone first gets a pulse oximeter, they should take an initial reading to gage what is a normal level for them.
"After that, if they get any Covid-19 symptoms, they should monitor it at home every few hours," he added.
"If their oxygen saturation drops by 2 or 3 per cent, they should call their GP, specialist nurse or 111."
Dr Summerton urged healthy people to avoid buying the devices as they are needed for people with severe lung conditions.
He added: "What we want to do is pick up people with coronavirus early. There is no need for your average fit 30-year-old to buy one. They need to be available for those who would really benefit from them."
Coronavirus symptoms generally are a persistent cough and a fever, but some will go on to develop breathing problems.
The virus can multiply in the respiratory tract, which affects the airways, making it harder to breathe normally.
It can develop into a severe condition known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Those patients will be admitted to intensive care where they may need a ventilator to help get oxygen moving around the body.