One of the most disruptive global events in recent memory, the Covid 19 pandemic resulting in tremendous loss of life and change across the planet. But with governments worldwide responding to the virus, it is worth looking at the role medical tech has played in helping to stem the tide.
So, what has happened over the last while and how has medical tech helped out when it mattered most.
What happened?
The start of 2020 saw the WHO make announcements about viral pneumonia in the Wuhan region of China, quickly leading to the city being locked down. However, by this point, the virus had become a global issue and after a spate of infections, cities and countries locked down and did their best to provide support and care to their citizens.
This led to a massive coordinated medical response with four key goals: Understanding the virus, spotting early infection, treating patients undergoing infection, and tracking recovery to monitor patient health and gather more information to aid diagnosis and implement healthcare-associated infection prevention. In all these roles, medical sensors supported the sterling work carried out by practitioners and made a massive difference when it came to beating back the virus.
Why are they so vital?
Medical sensors were used to capture information about patient vitals and improve treatment quality and source the insight needed to help formulate a cure. This involved the development and deployment of track and trace apps, networked sensor technology in hospitals to monitor high-volumes of patients, and the use of portable sensors to help manage patient care.
Out of all of these, disposable spo2 sensors received a great deal of press due to their ability to potentially act as an ‘early warning’ for individuals infected with the virus. While blood pulse oximeters did not track infection by the virus, they allow individuals to keep an eye out for symptoms associated with the virus during the most dangerous period of infection – where patients appeared asymptomatic but were still capable of catching the virus
This saw a significant drop in blood oxygen levels in infected patients, due in part to how the virus infected the body and the effect that viral inflammation had on lungs. This led to members of the public picking up portable spo2 sensors and using them as a potential check on their health. Many healthcare providers also supplied recovering patients with devices to help track their oxygen saturation and chart their recovery period.
Will this continue?
Almost certainly.
While a vaccine may be forthcoming, the threat of Covid is far from over. The rates of infection showed that medical services are, as a whole, underfunded and staffed. The years ahead will show a push for preparedness that will see hospitals stock up to be ready for future issues and help support those recovering or infected until the virus is directly addressed. This makes the sector extremely lucrative and likely to see innovation after innovation in the years ahead.
