NBA to Use Smart Rings in Detecting COVID-19 Within the Bubble

Right now, there are 93,797 individuals that have been hit by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Florida and, 3,144 individuals have died from the said virus. For a state who will host the possible resumption of the National Basketball Association (NBA) next month, that's an alarmingly high number and that's one of the major concern of NBA players and with no vaccine against the virus yet in sight, players will remain vulnerable even with the games being held behind-closed-doors inside the house of Mickey Mouse in Orlando.

Fortunately, the NBA has something mind that will help detect players who will develop symptoms of COVID-19 once inside the "bubble".

Aside from players being tested on a daily basis, practicing social distancing inside the hub, and wearing face masks, NBA players will likely wear "smart rings" which are manufactured by Oura. And yes, coaches will likely be asked to wear these smart rings since coaches like Gregg Popovich, Mike D' Antoni and, even Alvin Gentry are more vulnerable to the virus owing to their advanced age. In simple terms, the rings will help in tracking important body metrics that will help predict who among the players will be infected by the virus. 

While the usage of the smart rings such as that of Oura has been done for several years now, the NBA included using the tech in its resumption plan owing to a study conducted by the West Virginia University stating that the said rings can actually detect COVID-19 symptoms three days before the said symptoms show up and the good news is: it has a 90 percent success rate in detecting symptoms. In that essence alone, that will help the league make the necessary moves to prevent further spread of the disease inside the "bubble" at Disney World.  

The ring is equipped with sensors built to measure everything from the wearer's body temperature to his heart rate, to his respiratory rate and yes, the ring can even monitor sleeping patterns. Every data that is collected by the ring will be fed into an algorithm that will detect the onset of the COVID-19 symptoms. What makes the ring unique is that it has a minimalist profile that can make one forget he's actually wearing it. It's also water-resistant and can even run up to seven days in just one charge. It can also detect other aspects of the human body such as blood oxygen saturation levels and it can be paired with other smart devices. It will also have a proximity alarm which will help promote social distancing.

While detecting COVID-19 symptoms isn't the Oura tech's original purpose, this will help the NBA control the furthermore spread of the virus especially inside the "bubble". Who knows? Basketball authorities here in the Philippines may want to take a look at the possibility of doing the same thing once the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases allows basketball to resume. Gradually. 

Photo is from Engadget