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With COVID here to stay, and new variants of the virus always a threat, keeping our homes and families healthy is more important than ever. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the products available at PB Tech that will help you manage COVID at home and keep your loved ones healthy.
Pulse oximeter - keep your blood oxygen level in check
“Silent hypoxia” is the unpleasant name given to one of COVID's most serious symptoms. This is when the oxygen levels of the blood reach dangerously low levels without the patient noticing. People have been admitted to hospital with blood oxygen levels in the low 80% range, even as low as the 70% range! For context, a normal amount would be 95-100%. According to the BBC - "If oxygen levels drop to 93% or 94%, then people [should] speak to their GP… If they go below 92%, people should go to A&E or call… for an ambulance". A pulse oximeter is a portable and easy way to keep a track of your blood oxygen level. It simply slips over the tip of your middle finger and shines a light into your body, it then detects how much light is absorbed to calculate your oxygen levels.
Smart watches – can also help measure blood oxygen levels
While you are likely to get the most accurate reading from an actual pulse oximeter, many smart watches and fitness trackers have the ability to check your blood oxygen levels too. Having a pulse oximeter on your wrist at all times is certainly convenient, though it may be wise to use it alongside a dedicated pulse oximeter rather than as a replacement. Using the accuracy of a pulse oximeter in conjunction with the quickly accessible blood oxygen tracker in your smartwatch is a great way of staying on top of your health.
Air filters - keep the air in your home health and virus free
Up until recently, we were required to meet outdoors so that there was sufficient airflow to prevent the transmission of the virus. Now that we’re allowed inside again, a great way to minimise your risk of infection is by using an air purifier with a HEPA filter to remove the COVID particles from the air. To be called a HEPA filter, some pretty serious qualifications have to be met. Filters meeting the HEPA standard “must remove at least 99.5% of particles whose diameter is equal to 0.3 μm, with the filtration efficiency increasing for particle diameters both less than and greater than 0.3 μm”. Basically, it will catch COVID out of the air so that you don’t.
We have some great options from Xiaomi, Samsung, and Trusens at PB Tech. If you are really serious about keeping your home virus free, Philips has air purifiers that filter the air through HEPA filters, and then expose it to UV-C radiation that has been proven to inactivate 99% of the COVID virus in testing, adding another layer of protection. Read more here.
HEPA Vacuum cleaners - keep surfaces COVID free
You’ve had some visitors over, but you know that COVID particles can linger on a surface (for up to 24 hours!), what's the best way to clean without putting yourself at risk? Well, we now know how effective HEPA filters are at catching coronavirus particles, and great news, some vacuum cleaners have them too! PB has a range of vacuums that boast HEPA filters, from nimble stick vacuums, to smart robot vacuums, and they’ll all help to keep your home virus free!
Health scales - keep your body in check
You can’t necessarily guarantee that you won’t get COVID, and one of the best ways to reduce your chances of a serious reaction is to keep fit and healthy. Obesity creates a far higher risk of serious implications, researchers have recommended that 'during pandemics individuals with obesity should be included as one of the clinically vulnerable groups, especially those with morbid obesity.’ Learn more here. A great way of keeping an eye on your health is with a smart scale, not only will they help you track your weight, they also offer features such as BMI and body fat percentage to give you a very accurate idea of your health and body composition.
Masks - keep yourself and others safe from airborne particles
Masks have been encouraged right from the start of the pandemic, and rightfully so. More and more evidence is coming in showing how dramatically mask use lowers transmission of COVID. A recent Australian meta-analysis of 72 studies has shown that mask-wearing led to a 53% reduction in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, see here for more information.
Hopefully these products will help you to keep your homes and families healthy this summer. It’s important to stay safe and vigilant as the country begins to open up so that we can all enjoy a classic Kiwi summer, beach days, BBQs, sunburns and all. Make sure to check out PB if you need any tech this summer!
