Key Takeaways:
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Pulse oximeters measure blood oxygen levels and may help detect moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms early.
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An ideal oxygen saturation is 95% or higher; levels below 94% may require GP review, and 92% or less needs urgent ambulance attention.
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Early COVID-19 pneumonia can cause low oxygen without noticeable breathing difficulty, making monitoring important.
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Pulse oximeters also help detect hypoxia, a dangerous condition caused by low oxygen in the organs and tissues.
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Hypoxia causes include severe asthma attacks; prevention involves following an asthma management plan.
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The Asthma First Aid course (22556VIC) teaches how to manage asthma risks and emergencies in the workplace.
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CPR First Aid (RTO 21903) delivers nationally recognised asthma and anaphylaxis first aid training across Australia.
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Pulse oximeter readings can be affected by age, health conditions, and device limitations—should not be used alone for diagnosis.
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COVID-19 prevention measures include good hygiene, mask-wearing, and physical distancing.
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Other detection methods like PCR, RATs, and PO₂ testing may be more accurate for diagnosing COVID-19 and hypoxia.
Many people wonder: What is the use of a pulse oximeter in COVID-19? Healthdirect says a pulse oximeter may monitor COVID-19 symptoms by reading your oxygen level. In doing so, you may know when to contact your general practice for a review or call 000 for an ambulance. Aside from COVID-19, a pulse oximeter is also used to detect Hypoxemia, another health problem considered a cause of concern.
Fortunately, first aid, further hospital treatments, and prevention tips for COVID-19 and Hypoxia exist. The details below will discuss these items further, including information on whether a pulse oximeter is accurate and should be relied on to detect such health problems.
A Pulse Oximeter
A separate article discusses what an oximeter is that gathers information from the following reliable resources:
- NPS MedicineWise – a not-for-profit organisation established in 1998 connected with health consumers and health professionals found throughout Australia.
- Healthdirect – Australia’s national virtual public health information service supported by the government and other agencies.
- The Guardian – launched in 2013 as the Australian website of the British global online and print newspaper, The Guardian.
These websites explain the function of a pulse oximeter, helping us understand why it may be used to detect COVID-19 symptoms.
The Covid-19 Symptoms
The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care has listed the Covid-19 symptoms which they mention are similar to some typical illnesses like:
- Colds.
- Flu.
- Allergies.
The government’s fact sheet may help determine if the symptoms you experience are of Covid-19.
Why a Pulse Oximeter is Used in Covid-19 Detection?
According to an article written by Laurel Wamsley for NPR, someone who is possibly infected with COVID-19 may have a drop in blood oxygen level. This may occur in the early stages of COVID-19 pneumonia without the symptom of difficulty in breathing.
Laurel Wamsley holds a master’s degree from Ohio University, where she was a Public Media Fellow and is a reporter for NPR’s News Desk. NPR is an independent, nonprofit media organisation with:
- 1,000+ local stations in the U.S.A.
- 17 international bureaus.
- 18 domestic bureaus.
These bureaus in the U.S.A. and worldwide discover the most essential stories and deliver them to the millions of NPR’s weekly listeners and website visitors.
Using a Pulse Oximeter for Covid-19
Healthdirect lists the step-by-step instructions on testing your oxygen using a pulse oximeter. Once you get a reading, you may then follow the below actions suggested by the same website, which depend on the percentage of oxygen levels:
- 95% or higher – no further action is indicated as it is the ideal blood oxygen level.
- 93 -94%—You should have more frequent check-ups with your GP, as this may indicate that you have moderate COVID-19 symptoms.
- 92% or less – calling 000 for an ambulance is advised as it may mean you have severe COVID-19 symptoms.
According to Healthdirect, a website connected to Australia’s health system and industry, such readings may also be affected by an individual’s age and health conditions.
Covid-19 Prevention
The Department of Health and Aged Care suggests doing the following to help prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 virus:
- Good hygiene.
- Wearing face masks.
- Physical distancing
This department works with various stakeholders to deliver policies and programs for the country regarding health, aged care, and sport.
Using a Pulse Oximeter for Hypoxia
According to myDr Australia, hypoxia may also be detected by a pulse oximeter. It explains how this is possible here. MyDr Australia is a health and wellness website compliant with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.
What is Hypoxia?
The websites below explain what hypoxia is in detail:
- Ausmed – a group of educators and software engineers that provide CPD education for health professionals.
- Epilepsy Action Australia is a registered charity that provides resources and information regarding epilepsy.
- WebMD – is an organisation composed of board-certified physicians and award-winning journalists that provide credible health information.
These websites describe Hypoxia as a dangerous condition as it occurs when there is a lack of oxygen to the tissues and organs, including the brain.
Effects
WebMD states that when hypoxia occurs, the brain, liver, and other organs may be damaged minutes after symptoms start, which they also list and consider to be different in each person.
Cause
A severe asthma attack is the first mentioned cause of hypoxia, among other things listed by WebMD.
Prevention
Managing asthma with the help of a treatment plan is considered the best way of preventing Hypoxia WebMD.
Managing Asthma
Fortunately, the below organisations exist that provide reliable information on managing asthma:
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – an independent statutory Australian Government agency producing authoritative and accessible information and statistics.
- National Asthma Council Australia – the national authority for asthma knowledge, setting the standard for asthma care.
The second website mentions asthma first aid, which may also be performed during an anaphylactic shock.
The Asthma First Aid
The National Asthma Council Australia has released details about asthma first aid for children under and over 12 years old. In addition, training.gov.au has released information on the 
22556VIC – Course in the Management of Asthma Risks and Emergencies in the Workplace that allows its graduates to:
- Develop an asthma management strategy.
- Provide asthma-related first-aid interventions.
Training.gov.au is the National Register on Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Australia, which also states that this asthma first aid course may only be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Organisations like CPR First Aid (RTO NO 21903) have the approved scope to do so as required by national and jurisdictional legislation within Australia.
CPR First Aid (RTO NO 21903)
This first aid training provider has been registered since 2007 under the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the country’s national vocational education and training regulator. It has the approved scope of delivering first aid courses like the current 22556VIC—Course in the Management of Asthma Risks and Emergencies in the Workplace, which supersedes and is equivalent to 22282VIC.
Duration of the Asthma First Aid Course
The 22556VIC – Course in the Management of Asthma Risks and Emergencies in the Workplace is delivered by CPR First Aid (RTO NO 21903) for 1.5 hours. It is a combined first aid course with the 22578VIC Course in First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis that lasts another 1.5 hours.
Cost
The Combined Asthma and Anaphylaxis course costs $80 if you book online and may be discounted through the first aid trainer.
Location
The Perth training location at 123C Colin St. West Perth 6005 holds public and private first aid classes. A company’s workplace may also have customised first aid training designed by CPR First Aid (RTO NO 21903) specifically for its staff through a private booking.
Accuracy of a Pulse Oximeter
Many factors affect the accuracy of a pulse oximeter’s reading, so it may over- or under-estimate oxygen saturation. The Department of Health and Aged Care advises against using it in isolation as an indicator of the severity of a patient’s illness, and it discusses the limitations of pulse oximeters here.
Other Methods of Covid-19 and Hypoxia Detection
The same government department states that below are the types of COVID-19 tests:
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR, or RT-PCR).
- Rapid antigen self-tests (RATs).
On the other hand, Partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) is another method to measure oxygenation, which, according to my doctor in Australia, is linked to Hypoxia.
Conclusion
A pulse oximeter reads oxygen levels, which may indicate if you have moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms. An ideal reading is 95% or higher, while anything below it may suggest a need for more frequent check-ups with your GP or a call to an ambulance. Fortunately, there is still a chance to avoid these by following the government’s Covid-19 prevention tips. A pulse oximeter is also used in detecting hypoxia, a dangerous condition that occurs when there is a lack of oxygen in the tissues and organs, including the brain. It is caused by several factors, like asthma, which may be managed by following guidelines available on the websites of asthma-related organisations in Australia. An asthma first aid course also allows its graduates to acquire the skills and knowledge to develop an asthma management strategy and provide first aid responses. This first aid course is delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) like CPR First Aid (RTO NO 21903). Meanwhile, a pulse oximeter may overestimate oxygen saturation, so it is not advised to be used in isolation to indicate the severity of a patient’s illness. Other tests to detect Covid-19 and Hypoxia may be more accurate than a pulse oximeter.