OURA RING – WILL IT HELP YOUR NBA ATHLETES TO STAY SAFE FROM COVID-19?

NBA players might be required to wear them as a part of the NBA restart plan 

All the sporting events and activities were stopped suddenly with the spread of the deadly COVID-19 disease. As things have started to return to some form of normalcy and the NBA wants to resume the 2019-2020 season at Disney World, everything is being done to keep the players safe. One of the important developments is the inclusion of Oura Ring in the plans.

 

This Tuesday, a memo was sent by the NBA to its members, and it detailed the “Life Inside the Bubble” plan. It mentioned virtual workouts, rigorous testing regimens, social distancing protocols, and travel guidelines. It also noted that the players would have the option to wear two types of wearables. The first one is a proximity alarm, which will notify players if they spend over five seconds within 1.82m of another individual. The second is the Oura Ring.

 

The Oura Ring is among the wearables that are being studied by researchers as a tool that might help detect COVID-19. Designed to help track the sleep of a person, the ring does that by measuring respiratory rate, body temperature, heart rate variability as well as resting heart rate. The company that manufactures Oura Ring has teamed up with West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) for a national study. The company has also associated with the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, the Oura Ring has also been included in a study on early detection by Stanford University.

 

Every Oura Ring weighs anywhere from four to six grams, is water-resistant, and can run for up to seven days on just one charge. The battery can be charged in just 80 minutes. Each ring also has three body temperatures, infrared LED sensors, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer. The data from the ring (for up to six weeks) can be stored on an Android phone or an iOS.

 

Harpreet Rai, the CEO of Oura Health that manufactures Oura Rings, said, “We are hopeful that Oura’s technology will advance how people identify and understand our body’s most nuanced physiological signals and warning signs, as they relate to infectious diseases like COVID-19. Partnering with the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute on this important study helps fulfill Oura’s vision of offering data for the public good and empowering individuals with the personal insights needed to lead healthier lives.”

 

It will be interesting to see whether an Oura Ring can help athletes avoid coronavirus as they gear up as per the NBA restart plans.