Faulty Oxygen Readings Delayed Care to Black and Hispanic Covid Patients, Study Finds

August 25, 2023

(New York Times) – Pulse oximeters routinely overestimated levels of oxygen in the blood in darker-skinned Covid patients, leading to delays in treatment and hospital readmissions, according to a research article published on Thursday. The research focused on the first years of the coronavirus pandemic, when patients overwhelmed hospitals. At the time, blood-oxygen levels were a key factor in deciding which patients wound up in limited hospital beds and received treatment. (Read More)