How Technology Helped Keep the NBA Bubble Safe from Covid-19
96 days in a bubble. Not one positive Covid-19 test. That sounds crazy and probably still will a few years from now but a big congrats to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA team for keeping a safe environment for the NBA to continue during a global pandemic.
This wouldn't be possible with the strict protocols and of course the technology. Not only was technology used to recreate the fan experience, it was used to keep the NBA safe. The NBA was using technology by partnering with Fusion Sport, a human performance software company based in the United States out of Boulder, Colorado. The company has a track record having worked with professional sports teams, colleges, military branches and private companies to compile and analyze data involving human performance and business trends.
Fusion Sport partnered again with the NBA this year to help keep the bubble safe by helping analyze the data regarding every employee’s wellness, symptoms and test results.
Each player, coach, staff member and reporter everyday not only got tested daily but they were responsible for filling out a personal symptom questionnaire, and temperature and oxygen levels. This wasn't done only for the bubble participants to only learn about their health status but rather was done so that NBA and health officials were able to read the data and use technology to analyze it constantly. Any abnormality could be easily picked up in advance which would allow health officials in the bubble to keep a close eye on someone in particular if they needed to.
The daily routine for bubble participants consisted of logging into the NBA’s MyHealth app that each player was asked to download on their phone prior to arriving. Each morning they would complete a symptom questionnaire detailing any symptoms such as cough, breathing issues, fever, body aches, and headaches. To take their body temperatures they used Kinsa, a Bluetooth-enabled smart thermometer which directly fed the data into the app. Lastly they had to insert one of their fingers into Masimo, a pulse oximeter that measures oxygen levels which was also sent to the app for tracking.
Keeping the bubble safe for everyone was not an easy task, but one made easier with the use of technology. This serves as one of many examples of how technology is helping create more safe and efficient new ways of living. Technology is seeing a huge shift in the healthcare industry as people are wanting to know more about their health. Wearables like the Apple watch which has the capabilities to know track your blood oxygen level and heart signals (EKG), provides a promising glimpse into how technology will not only create a healthier future, but allow for a wider net of people around the world to get access to healthcare.