Taiwan now provides a pulse oximeter in its COVID care packages for patients with mild COVID symptoms that are quarantined at home. Oximeters measure a blood’s oxygen levels and can help detect low oxygen levels early.
Video script: Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-yen demonstrates how to use a pulse oximeter. The device measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. The city government will now lend out an oximeter for free to any COVID patient who is quarantined at home.
This district chief in Taichung says that the city government has a stock of 700 of the devices and is planning to purchase another 1,200. He says if your oximeter reading is consistently below 92%, you must dial 119 emergency for help right away.
The care packages handed out in Taichung also include snacks, instant noodles, canned foods, masks, a thermometer, and rapid test kits.
The Changhua County Government has also upgraded its care packages. Besides the usual items like masks, drinks, rapid test kits, and now an oximeter, the package will also come with painkillers, medicine for nasal congestion and to reduce phlegm.
When a patient has recovered and is out of quarantine, the person will have to return the oximeter to the local health center.
Yunlin County also hands out care packages to those in quarantine. Their packages include a thermometer, dried foods, masks and garbage bags. Not every county is lending out oximeters freely as Yunlin is only giving them out to patients designated by doctors.