When the game resumes in a month at Walt Disney World, NBA players will have the opportunity to wear an Oura Ring.
Because matter: The rings detect heart and respiratory rates, as well as temperature and sleep patterns. The hope is that they can be an additional line of defense against the spread of COVID-19.
Axios spoke with the CEO of Oura Harpreet Singh Rai to learn more about the product and why the NBA looked for them as a partner.
How does this technology work?
“Put simply, we help people understand and improve their health by focusing on better sleep. Consumers are given three scores: sleep, activity and alertness. And it’s that readiness score that really is meant to tell users how they feel.
“The most important data we collect is the temperature, which we can acquire on your finger, but you don’t see it on your wrist. This is one of the main reasons why the NBA is not collaborating, for example, with Apple or Whoop.”
When did you understand that Oura could be useful in tracking COVID-19?
“We had a user in Finland who posted a public post on Facebook in early March, basically saying: ‘I have had this ring for a year, I am an avid athlete and normally my readiness range is between 80 and 90. So all of a sudden, one day I woke up and my score was 54. “
He was asymptomatic, but had been traveling and his body temperature was a little higher than normal, so he decided to contact the health authorities to get tested. Sure enough, he tested positive. “
How was the NBA involved?
“We had ongoing research projects with UCSF and West Virginia University, and the data was quite convincing. When the NBA wearable committee took note of both studies, they reached the end of April.
“We have since developed an opt-in program for all players and staff going to Orlando. It is too early to know exactly how many are joining, but there will be over 2,000 people.”
How will you handle privacy issues?
“We are working with NBA, NBPA, Excel Sports and CAA to make sure everyone is comfortable. Think about it – we are monitoring sleep, so a coach might see that a player has only slept two hours the night before a game and decide to don’t start it.
“To ensure that this does not happen, most of the data is not shared. The league and union see only something called a risk score, which combines heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature and respiratory rate. If the score of risk is high enough, a team doctor is notified and can test the player.
“It is this informed test, as we call it, that would make this an inexpensive solution for other leagues, including colleges, which cannot afford to test every day as the NBA can do.”
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