People Are Already Selling Their Free Oximeters for Up to $30 in Carousell

If someone came up to you on the street selling a Fillet-O-Fish, you’d find a reason to excuse yourself and look for the nearest police station.

But if the same seller listed his questionable burger on Carousell, some buyers may be tempted into a purchase.

Since the introduction of Carousell, sellers have seized every opportunity to make some extra cash, be it a McDonald’s closure or COVID-19 lockdown.

Therefore it’s unsurprising that when the Temasek Foundation gave out something free recently, opportunists on Carousell quickly put it up for sale.

People Are Already Selling Their Free Oximeters for Up to $30 in Carousell

That’s right, some residents in Singapore are selling the free oximeters distributed by the Temasek Foundation on Carousell.

Prices listed on the site range from $19.90 to $30.

Surprisingly, even though every household in Singapore can collect one oximeter for free, many of these listings have garnered over 15 likes each.

Those who are thinking of purchasing these oximeters on Carousell might want to do a little more browsing on the interweb, however, as these devices are going for much lower prices on other online marketplaces.

On Lazada, for example, you can get a brand new oximeter for as low as $7 to $9, while some retailers on Shopee are even selling them for $5.

Some smartphone apps also claim to be able to measure blood oxygen levels, though their reliability has been questioned.

Of course you could always go for the cheapest option – collect your free oximeter from the Temasek Foundation and share it with your family.

That will cost you a low $0.

What Does it Do?

As the name suggests, an oximeter checks the oxygen level in the blood, which may be an indicator of coronavirus infection.

As the Temasek Foundation explained: “the Covid-19 virus can cause blood oxygen levels to drop to dangerously low levels, even when you have no other symptoms.”

It added that “silent pneumonia”, where people have damaged lungs but feel well, is especially dangerous.

Blood oxygen levels between 95% and 100% are considered healthy, while a level between 90% and 94% is considered low.

Those with low blood oxygen levels should seek medical attention, as they may need supplemental oxygen.

As for those with blood oxygen levels below 90%, they should head to the Accident and Emergency department immediately, as these levels are “dangerously low” and require urgent treatment.

Collection for the free devices began on Monday (5 July), with steady queues seen at supermarkets and pharmacies in the morning.

In case you don’t know, you can collect the devices on behalf of your family at more than 300 FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Giant, Cold Storage, Watsons, Unity, and Guardian outlets across the country.

All you have to do is present a leaflet at the venue, which will be distributed via letterboxes.

The mass distribution exercise will end on 5 Aug.

You can head here for more information.

Featured Image: Carousell