Johannesburg – It’s been one year since Covid- 19 was first detected in South Africa and thousands have since died of the global virus.
This has spurred the medical fraternity to come up with creative ways to keep the public safe, and to monitor their own status at home.
Thanks to technology, patients can now do virtual consultations at home and use various gadgets to check their Covid-19 symptoms, as well as different technology to keep their homes sanitised.
Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, thehead of clinical policy at Discovery Health, says the Covid- 19 pandemic also led to a drop in health-seeking behaviour as patients were reluctant to go to healthcare facilities due to fears of contracting the virus.
“The increased adoption of digital healthcare, accelerated by Covid-19, has highl ighted the patient’s home as an impor tant and relevant setting for healthcare,” she says.
Pulse Oximeter Dr Nematswerani says they have been encouraging people to use a pulse oximeter.
The device can be purchased at various retail stores including Makro and Takealot.
It ranges from R100 to R1 500. She explains that the device is non-invasive (on the outside of the body) and painless and measures the oxygen levels in the member’s blood.
It can quickly detect even small changes in how efficiently the blood carries oxygen to the extremities of the member’s body, such as the fingers and toes. It measures oxygen levels as a percentage (scored out of 100).
“We call this oxygen saturation. Members place a small clamp-like device on one finger, the oximeter then shines two lights through the fingertip: one red light and one infrared light. The device is able to measure how much oxygen is in the member’s blood. It’s benefi cial for those with silent hypoxia.
“A phenomenon described in patients with Covid-19 pneumonia characterised by low oxygen levels in the blood who appear clinically well. Patients with this type of pneumonia usually do not feel short of breath even though their oxygen levels are dropping and may only start showing symptoms later when they may already be in a critical condition.
“Using a pulse oximeter device (especially around day fi ve to 10 of the infection), helps detect oxygen-related problems early on. “When the oxygen level drops to between 90% and 94% and you are feeling unwell (like if you have shortness of breath or a fever), it is recommended that you have a consultation with your healthcare provider.
“Readings below 90% require urgent medical att ention.”
TytoHome This device makes virtual doctor consults possible. Dr Nematswerani says that having launched in October 2020, the Connected Care platform has been recently deployed to doctors and the number of participating doctors is scaling up steadily.
“Doctors continue to receive training to use the device during consultations.”
It is a lightweight and portable medical exam kit that includes an examination camera, thermometer, otoscope and stethoscope.
“This allows users to capture clinical-grade images of the ear, throat and skin, as well as lung and heart auscultations, which they can seamlessly share with a doctor in our network in real time using the Discovery Connected Care app,” she says.
She explains that using this data, the healthcare provider can offer their patient a diagnosis, treatment plan and prescription if needed. It can help diagnose and treat many common conditions and symptoms, including: ear infections, sore throats, fever, colds and fl u, allergies, pink eye, nausea, constipation, asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, bug bites and common skin conditions such as contact dermatitis, rash and diaper rash, and many others.
Infrared Thermometers Corporate affairs manager for Makro Farzana Sonvadi says infrared thermometers have become more aff ordable and are selling out fast.
“The sale of these devices can be attributed to lockdown regulatory alert levels, [i.e] in May 2020. We saw a spike as consumers and companies acquired units to ‘scan’ employees as part of preventative safety measures.”
Eiger Ultraviolet light: This unit is ideal for household use to sterilise small rooms with ultraviolet light. Part of the range also includes steam cleaners, wall-mounted sanitisers and masks.
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