The University of Guadalajara (UdG) will lend 2,000 pulse oximeters to patients with mild symptoms of Covid-19 who are not hospitalized, Rector Ricardo Villanueva announced.
Oximeters, small-sized lightweight devices, which show a person’s oxygen saturation level, have become a necessity during the pandemic. Although they do not function as a substitute for a coronavirus test, they detect hypoxemia or low blood oxygen levels, one of the early signs of Covid-19 infection.
Villanueva said that the devices will allow people infected with coronavirus and recovering at home to check their blood oxygen levels in a timely manner. This will mean they can get hospital attention before serious pulmonary complications arise, thus avoiding the need to be put on a ventilator. When the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply, which happens in the case of pneumonia caused by Covid-19, it is immediately detected by the device.
The oximeters will be lent out free of charge for periods of 15 days, Villanueva said. For more information, call 333-540-3001.
Oximeters available on Amazon Mexico range in price from 500 to 900 pesos.
The devices can also be purchased at some Guadalajara-area pharmacies.