NBA players in the Bubble can wear a ring that predicts COVID-19 contraction

NBA players could soon be using the Oura ring to track their health. Image: courtesy of Oura via AFP Relaxnews

To track the health of basketball teams stationed in the NBA Bubble, The Athletic reports that each player will have the option of wearing a high-tech ring that can track their probability of having contracted COVID-19.

For the 22 NBA teams still in the running to play in the playoffs currently stationed in what’s referred to as the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida, a handful of technologies exist to help them avoid contracting COVID-19, especially since playing a contact sport is especially risky right now.

One of these optional technologies, according to the report, is called an Oura smart ring which can track and record various physiological characteristics of the wearer like their body temperature and respiratory rate. Based on these values, the ring can determine one’s likelihood of having contracted COVID-19 three days before symptoms are observed with 90 percent accuracy.

Unless a ring alerts personnel that a player probably has the coronavirus, the recorded personal information will remain confidential.

Team staff will *not* have any access to player data from the wearable ring (should any player actually choose to wear it) aside from instances in which the "illness probability score" triggers a further medical review. https://t.co/q7nk1cBzIa

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 17, 2020

The battery of such rings, which function more or less like a FitBit in ring form, has a battery life of about a week and are durable enough to resist water and scratches. While this Oura ring comes in a variety of colors and finishes, the starting price for the most basic iteration is $299 (almost P15,000).

It’s reported that NBA players will have the option to wear this ring or not. JB

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