Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
Britain’s state-run healthcare service warned Saturday that devices used by people with Covid to monitor blood-oxygen levels at home may give inaccurate readings for people with darker skin.
The warning concerned pulse oximeters, currently being used by many of those at risk of severe Covid symptoms to check their blood-oxygen levels. Below a certain reading, they need to be hospitalised.
The NHS, the UK state-funded health service, supplies them to those with virus symptoms, aged over 65 or clinically vulnerable.
The NHS said in a statement that “there have been reports that pulse oximeters can be less accurate for people with darker skin because they may show higher readings of the oxygen level in the blood”.
The devices, clipped onto a finger, work by shining a light through a person’s skin to measure the level of oxygen in the blood.
Updated guidance for virus sufferers on the main NHS website now warns: “There have been some reports they may be less accurate if you have brown or black skin.
“They may show readings higher than the level of oxygen in your blood.”
But the important thing is to check regularly whether to see if they are going down, it adds.
Habib Naqvi, director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said the issue affected “black (and) Asian diverse communities”.
Members of ethnic minorities, particularly Black Africans and Bangladeshi, have suffered the highest death rates from the virus in Britain.
The death toll from Covid in the United Kingdom stood at 129,583 Saturday, one of the highest in the world.
Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
Vehicle owners must bring their old plates along to the inspection station
Clean sweep for UAE in golf as the hosts win team gold and Rayan claims individual title
Silva announced his farewell on Monday in an emotional video message on Chelsea's website
Protest organizers deny accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing that their actions are aimed at the Israeli government
Images published on the weekend showed Bollywood superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan sweating profusely while watching his team train