SYMPTOMS & OXIMETER USE

Monitoring yourself at home with coronavirus symptoms(temperature or new cough or loss of sense of taste/smell)

Amberley Parish Protocol (2020)

How to use a pulse oximeter:

• Sit comfortably in a warm place
• Place the probe on a clean dry finger (nail varnish particularly gel or shellac may affect the reading)
• You may need to turn it on and it will take up to a minute to give you a reading
• If you can't get a reading make sure your hands are warm and the device has batteries!
• Normal reading: oxygen 96% or above, pulse 50-100
• If your reading is outside these ranges sit for 5 minutes, have a cough and take some nice deep breathes
• If the reading is still abnormal refer to the Amberley Parish Protocol for what to do next and where to seek help
• If your reading is normal but you feel you have some difficulty in breathing or chest tightness, repeat the reading after exertion ie take 40 steps or walk up and down the stairs

If you have Coronavirus symptoms it's sensible to check your readings in the morning and evening or if you feel more unwell 

In the following video, Dr Karie Armstrong  advises you on the use of an Oximeter