Can oxygen saturation (SpO2) show if you are infected with COVID-19?

[webfact]

 

COVID-19 has affected millions of people over the past year and a half. One thing that is quite clear is that the virus attacks the lungs of the infected, causing many to exhibit symptoms of severe pneumonia and, in turn, low blood-oxygen levels.

 

Besides professional medical equipment, seen in hospitals, used to measure oxygen saturation, in recent months, pulse oximeters and smartwatches with SpO2 tracking functions have become a way for many people to monitor their own health.

 

Dr. Surasit Issarachai, Haematology (Blood) and Oncology (Cancer) specialist, Bumrungrad International Hospital said that, “The pulse oximeter is not the best way to indicate COVID-19 status. It’s only good at detecting if someone has low oxygen levels in the blood, as it shows hypo oxygenation, or low oxygen concentration.”

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/can-oxygen-saturation-spo2-show-if-you-are-infected-with-covid-19/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-05-14

 

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[ukrules]

It's a good way to see if you have pneumonia or some other lung deficiency, especially if you check it on a regular ongoing basis.

 

If you have a reading of 97% every day for 6 months then it drops to say 80% over the course of a week or two then it is a very good indicator that you need to urgently go to hospital for investigation and treatment as to why your lungs are dying.

 

[RotBenz8888]

Just waiting for 7/11 to test one's oxygen saturation before entering. 

[John435]

I think it would be a good measure of how quickly you need to get to a hospital. 

[Dazinoz]

I actually ordered one from Lazada 2 days ago.

[sezze]

This does not at all show if you got Covid . It is however a indicator for your lungs , and the number always need to be high 90s to 100 . Any lower number is not good , and a number of 80 is already a very dangerous number .

[simon43]

[quote]

...then it drops to say 80% 

[/quote]

 

Actually, if it drops to 80%, then you are probably already dead! ????

 

I think you mean a value of 80 mm Hg, which is indeed low.  Normal % value is around 96-97%.  A reading below about 94% is cause for concern.

[Almer]

On 5/14/2021 at 3:49 PM, RotBenz8888 said:

Just waiting for 7/11 to test one's oxygen saturation before entering. 

Will that be with one of the staffs iphones?

[placeholder]

There is hope for those suffering from hypoxia:

 Breathing Through the Rectum Saves Oxygen-Starved Mice and Pigs

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/science/rectum-breathing-oxygen.html?action=click&module=In Other News&pgtype=Homepage

[ExpatOilWorker]

22 hours ago, simon43 said:

[quote]

...then it drops to say 80% 

[/quote]

 

Actually, if it drops to 80%, then you are probably already dead! ????

 

I think you mean a value of 80 mm Hg, which is indeed low.  Normal % value is around 96-97%.  A reading below about 94% is cause for concern.

I am still alive.....

[OneMoreFarang]

23 hours ago, sezze said:

This does not at all show if you got Covid . It is however a indicator for your lungs , and the number always need to be high 90s to 100 . Any lower number is not good , and a number of 80 is already a very dangerous number .

 

It seems 95 and more is what the nurses want to see in hospitals. I have often 92 and they don't like this. I bought a beurer oximeter and sometimes it shows 90% and I feel "normal". Is that perfect? No. But it is no reason to panic.

My gf has regularly 99%. ???? 

[Henryford]

23 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

I actually ordered one from Lazada 2 days ago.

Let me know how it goes. I am about to order one as well but i wondered at 359 baht how accurate it might be.

[simon43]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

I am still alive.....

Lol, buy a new instrument!  According to the US healthcare website "If your home SpO2 reading is lower than 95%, call your health care provider"

[sezze]

51 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

It seems 95 and more is what the nurses want to see in hospitals. I have often 92 and they don't like this. I bought a beurer oximeter and sometimes it shows 90% and I feel "normal". Is that perfect? No. But it is no reason to panic.

My gf has regularly 99%. ???? 

Prob you smoke , which gets you a bit of CO in your bloodstream . Otherwise , it is not very good no , since it does say that your body is not taking up the oxygen as it should . A number like that will not kill you , and you feeling fine has actually not much to do with it . If the numbers drops quite fast , then many people can feel "euphoric" as lack of oxygen , but it is a very dangerous situation , which in fact is why some people get inside hospital with Covid . They got a fever but feel perfectly normal , till the oxygen meter comes along and numbers like 85 and lower shows and they get in life dangerous zone without them knowing ( potentially collapsing on the spot ) .

[ExpatOilWorker]

17 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Lol, buy a new instrument!  According to the US healthcare website "If your home SpO2 reading is lower than 95%, call your health care provider"

It is usually showing 96-98% and 99 if I hyperventilate. 

I was holding my breath to get it down  to 79.

[OneMoreFarang]

56 minutes ago, sezze said:

Prob you smoke , which gets you a bit of CO in your bloodstream . Otherwise , it is not very good no , since it does say that your body is not taking up the oxygen as it should . A number like that will not kill you , and you feeling fine has actually not much to do with it . If the numbers drops quite fast , then many people can feel "euphoric" as lack of oxygen , but it is a very dangerous situation , which in fact is why some people get inside hospital with Covid . They got a fever but feel perfectly normal , till the oxygen meter comes along and numbers like 85 and lower shows and they get in life dangerous zone without them knowing ( potentially collapsing on the spot ) .

Thanks for your post. No, I don't smoke. And I have that oxygen level since years.

My main reason to post this here is to make others aware that 90% is not as critical as some people seem to believe. I am sure it doesn't hurt to see a doctor but it's not necessary to call the ambulance right away. ???? 

And, like the doctor in the article explained, people should only rely on medical quality oximeters. So called smart watches are not precision instruments. 

[Dazinoz]

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

Let me know how it goes. I am about to order one as well but i wondered at 359 baht how accurate it might be.

Will do.