After infection, not everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 suffers serious problems. Some people may experience an extremely unpleasant attack of fever, muscle pains, GI discomfort or low oxygen levels.

According to Dr. Timothy A. Connolly, MD of Houston Methodist Hospital, the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 enters the body through the respiratory system, causing direct harm to the lungs through inflammation and pneumonia, both of which can impair oxygen passage into the bloodstream.

This oxygen deficiency can happen at any stage of COVID-19, not just in severely sick patients on ventilators.

In fact, they’ve witnessed a phenomenon called “happy hypoxia” in people with COVID-19 who have very low oxygen levels but otherwise appear healthy. It’s alarming since these people may be more seriously unwell than they appear, necessitating additional medical attention.

As explained by the expert, if a person has a mild case of COVID-19 and is self-treating at home, an oximeter can be useful for monitoring oxygen levels and detecting low oxygen levels early. People with pre-existing lung disease, heart disease, and/or obesity, as well as active smokers, are theoretically more at risk for oxygen problems.

Furthermore, because “happy hypoxia” might be present in otherwise asymptomatic patients, a pulse oximeter can help ensuring that this clinically silent early warning signal is not overlooked.

However, as the doctor pointed out, you’ll need to know your baseline SpO2 before using an oximeter, and keep in mind that your baseline value can be influenced by pre-existing COPD, heart failure, or obesity.

It’s also crucial to understand when a change in your SpO2 level becomes significant.

“An SpO2 of 100% has effectively zero clinical difference to a 96% reading,” added the doctor.

“As a good rule of thumb, a person with COVID-19 monitoring his or her clinical status at home will want to ensure that the SpO2 reading stays consistently at or above 90 to 92%. If the number consistently drops below this threshold, timely medical evaluation is warranted.”

Dr. Connolly further cautioned that if a person has circulatory difficulties with poor blood flow to the extremities, such as very chilly hands, intrinsic vascular disease, or Raynaud’s phenomenon, pulse oximeters can give falsely low values. Furthermore, artificial nails or darkly colored nail polish, such as black or blue, might cause readings to be distorted.

“I always recommend that people measure at least one finger per hand to confirm the number,” said the doctor.

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