In this COVID pandemic, we've seen some really disgusting behaviors of some people. Opportunistic people who take advantage of people in need have been exposed in the past few months. It started from hoarding hand sanitizers, toilet papers, disinfectant wipes, and then Hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone. Nowadays, pulse oximeters are flying off the shelves and are being hoarded and sold at ten times the actual price in black markets.

The pulse oximeter is a medical device that clips to your finger and is used for monitoring a person's oxygen saturation i.e. the amount of oxygen in your blood. It's a quite useful device in hospital settings but the question is: do you really need to buy a pulse oximeter if you aren't a healthcare provider?

Well, it depends on factors like whether you have COVID or not? Even if you have got the disease whether you are self-isolating at home or are admitted to the hospital? Whether you or someone in your family is immunocompromised that is having any underlying conditions?

Oxygen is the most important kind of fuel your body needs to function. Low oxygen saturation or insufficient oxygen in the blood can interfere with your body functions especially adversely affecting your heart and brain. It's now a known fact that some people with COVID-19 have dangerously low oxygen saturation, even though they don't have any complaints of shortness of breath.

These days people are panic buying pulse oximeters in response to these reports to keep tabs on their oxygen levels if they get sick. Consequently, sellers have upped the prices. A pulse ox. that was worth 1000-2000 rupees a few weeks ago is now being sold at 10,000-12,000 rupees in the black market. Doctors and health experts have advised people not to panic.

• If you’re healthy and have no symptoms of COVID-19, a pulse oximeter isn't a must-have item for your medicine cabinet.

• If you are COVID-positive and are admitted to the hospital, you don't really need the pulse ox as hospital settings have sufficient of these devices.

• If you've been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are recovering at home, a pulse oximeter can give you some important data points to share with your doctor. If your oxygen levels fall too low, your doctor may want you to come in for more testing or hospital care.

• If you don’t have COVID-19 but have other medical conditions, buying a pulse oximeter might be a good idea if you have underlying illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, or lung diseases. In those cases, it’s helpful to do at-home monitoring so you can gather more information to give to your doctor.

So if you're one of the lucky few possessing rare pulse ox, what should you be looking for in a pulse oximeter reading? Healthy oxygen saturation is typically between 95-100%. If your number dips below 90%, it's concerning and you need to call your doctor for advice as soon as possible. But it must be remembered that low blood oxygen level is just one sign of coronavirus infection. Even if you have a healthy blood oxygen level, don’t ignore other possible symptoms, like cough, fever, or shortness of breath. If you have one of these symptoms isolate yourself and consult your doctor.