Fran has a doctor friend who works with seniors who have Covid-19. He keeps track of seniors who have tested positive and are at home recovering. He feels a pulse oximeter is an important piece of equipment for these people.
What is a pulse oximeter? It's a tiny gadget that you put on your finger that measures the oxygen saturation in your red blood cells. It tells you how well your heart is pumping oxygen. It reads out a percentage to tell you what your oxygen saturation level is. One of the symptoms of Covid-19, shortness of breath may be difficult to self access. Some covid patients develop "silent hypoxia." They feel well but they have dangerously low levels of oxygen, which may lead to pneumonia or respiratory trouble, which could quickly turn deadly.
The pulse oximeter is not expensive, and may be a worthy investment for anyone, particularly seniors living alone, at this time. It is best to check with your primary care physician to hear what he/she has to say, but for a $20 investment, what can it hurt? Since I live alone, I am going to get one. Amazon will be making another delivery to me next week. Hardly a week goes by that I don't order something, mostly frivolous items, but this is something I think I need.
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