Recently, reader Mr. Hao asked Qianjiang Evening News·Hour News “Reporter Help” about a claim he saw on an online platform, where many people are sharing a so-called “alternative to antigen testing,” which involves using smart wearable devices to measure blood oxygen saturation, with high values indicating negative and low values indicating positive. Mr. Hao was quite puzzled: is this method reliable?
This morning (December 20), a reporter from Qianjiang Evening News·Hour News opened a certain platform and found that under the “blood oxygen detection” topic tag, the topic had over 8.72 million views, with many accounts showcasing their smartwatches or wristbands, introducing the “alternative solution” mentioned by Mr. Hao.
One widely used original post claimed:“Using a smartwatch to measure blood oxygen is better than scrambling for antigen tests; if it’s below 80%, you are very likely positive, while normal is above 95%…”
Similar sharing posts are also abundant on other platforms.
So, can measuring blood oxygen saturation with a smartwatch or wristband really replace antigen testing?
In response, the reporter consulted Dr. Shen Ling, Chief Physician of the Respiratory Department at Hangzhou First People’s Hospital. Dr. Shen stated,“It is unscientific to determine whether your antigen is negative or positive based on blood oxygen saturation.”
He also pointed out that blood oxygen saturation is indeed one of the health indicators of the human body, reflecting whether our organs are in a low oxygen state. For example,brain hypoxia can lead to confusion; heart hypoxia can cause angina; liver hypoxia can lead to decreased metabolic function… However, the accuracy of measurements from smart wearable devices is yet to be confirmed, whereas values obtained from home blood oxygen monitors are generally more accurate.
Dr. Shen explained that generally,normal individuals without supplemental oxygen have blood oxygen saturation levels between 98% and 100%; if it falls below 95%, it warrants attention; below 90% suggests seeking medical attention promptly. He also reminded that not all individuals infected with COVID-19 need to go to the hospital; if symptoms like fever persist for only 1-2 days and blood oxygen saturation remains at normal levels, it is advisable not to visit the hospital to avoid straining medical resources.
Source: Qianjiang Evening News·Hour News Intern Reporter Ma Qinglong Correspondent Wang WentingDuty Editor: Ni Wangzhen
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