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The second wave of Covid-19 is deadlier than anyone would have ever imagined. The healthcare infrastructure in the country is on the brink of collapse and most hospitals are left with few hours of oxygen. With 3.32 lakh new covid cases in the past 24 hours and the ongoing oxygen crisis has made things much worse. However, one thing that most people have very little or no knowledge of ‘oxygen saturation level’, and at what levels should the person consult a doctor?

A human body requires a specific balance of oxygen in the blood. Blood Oxygen level means how much oxygen your red blood cells are carrying. Oxygen level is a major worry among covid positive patients. To measure the same, experts advise keeping a pulse oximeter handy during these times, which gives SpO2 levels.

Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health explains, “If your O2 saturation is above 94% then there is no problem. But if it is falling after exercise, then, you need to call a doctor. It’s important you get the right treatment at the right time.”

Talking about the availability of oxygen, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman, Medanta, says, “Today we have enough oxygen if we try to use it judiciously. I want to tell the public that if you don’t need oxygen then don’t use it as a security blanket. Waste of oxygen will only lead to depriving someone who needs it.”

Therefore, if your Covid-19 test report is positive, doctors suggest that you can be treated at home if you have mild symptoms. However, regular monitoring of the oxygen levels is important.

Amid surging cases, reports of lack of oxygen cylinders, severe scarcity of ICU beds are doing the rounds, which is eventually causing more fear in the minds of the general public. Addressing the situation, Commander Navneet Bali, Director of Northern Region at Narayana Health Multispecialty Hospital, told Money9, “A crisis like this is similar to a war zone. There is no other choice but to face it hands on. We need to add more ICU beds plus oxygen cylinders in the hospitals on priority. Secondly, we must immediately free nurses, paramedics and doctors who are on the verge of completing their education. This will boost the manpower. Thirdly, supply chain of essential drugs like Remdesivir must be augmented quickly.”

He specifically stressed the importance of bulking up oxygen beds and enough manpower to tackle the unprecedented number of cases being registered every day.