Published 11:40 IST, June 19th 2020
NBA players offered Oura ring to track COVID-19 symptoms, fans oppose the idea on Twitter
NBA smart rings: As per various reports, the NBA players will have the option to wear an Oura ring to help track and record potential coronavirus symptoms.
The NBA 2019-20 season is set to resume in July at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. As the players will play inside a 'bubble' due to the COVID-19 pandemic, various precautions will be taken to ensure the health and safety of the players and employees. As per reports, the players will have the option to wear an Oura ring to help track potential COVID-19 symptoms. However, many Twitter users voiced their opinion about the ring, being clearly not happy with the league's decision.
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NBA smart rings: NBA players to be offered an NBA COVID ring to track their health and help detect COVID-19 symptoms
As per The Athletic, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) sent out a memo to the NBA players union that an Oura ring will be offered to everyone to track their health. The ring will be optional and will record and track the player's health along with providing early warning signs if a player could be in danger of contracting COVID-19. Oura or NBA are yet to comment on the situation.
NBA smart rings: Twitter reacts against the new NBA COVID ring
Wait. When was this invented? Why don’t our essential workers have these?
— .COV (no ID) (@BearCov) June 18, 2020
This is bullshit.. a ring like that can save lives and they are only using it for NBA players? Are you kidding me? #NBA
— Carlos Orrego (@CarlosHDTV) June 18, 2020
Can you give them to people with pre-existing conditions instead please?
— Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) June 19, 2020
@nba players get magic rings and our healthcare workers who have died in the hundreds get trash bags#ThisIsAmerica pic.twitter.com/PJAAFNDDt9
— Maya (@Nyeusi2020) June 18, 2020
Many Twitter users were against the idea of the Oura ring being given to NBA players. Some users pointed out that if a ring like that can help save people, it should be given to frontline medical workers and not basketball players. Many also stated that this ring was being promoted for money and regular people will not be able to afford it. Many people also questioned the device's authenticity, saying that it was a way to protect money makers in the USA.
NBA Smart rings: What will an NBA COVID ring do?
As per reports, the ring has sensors that will track physiological measures like temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate and sleeping patterns. The data will be synced to a smartphone app where players can monitor their own health. As per GQ, the ring was not created to help COVID-19 prevention but collects data from a person which could help professionals detect the virus early.
A recent study by the West Virginia University's Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute states that the numbers obtained from the ring can help an individual by giving three days of warning for symptoms related to COVID-19 at a success rate of 95 percent. Executive chair of the Institute Dr. Ali Rezai also stated that if the ring can help 'provide insight into asymptomatic people who may be spreading the virus and help with earlier detection with this technology, it can inform better decision making, facilitate safety and prioritize who gets testing and other health containment strategies'. The Oura company have also stated that their ring is not a medical device and will help track COVID-19 symptoms.
NBA smart rings: How will the NBA COVID ring help during the NBA restart?
While the NBA has approved the plan to resume the season on July 30, various health concerns have been raised. The Oura ring will help the league track a players' health in an organized manner which will help prevent COVID-19 cases in the NBA bubble in Orlando. While the ring is not mandatory for players, reports state that the staff will have to wear the ring. As per ESPN's Zach Lowe, teams will not have exclusive rights to players' data if they decide to wear it and will only be able to access it if the player is in danger of contracting the virus.
(Image source: @lakers official Instagram, Oura Ring official site)
Updated 11:40 IST, June 19th 2020