Prince Harry apparently owns a stylish ring that's more than just a fashion accessory as it's said to be capable of detecting COVID-19 from its wearer.
The almost-$300 piece is called the Oura ring, a wearable technology loved by the super-rich like Harry, Lance Armstrong and Will Smith, according to The Telegraph. It was originally made to track the wearer's temperature, heart rate, and efficiency. The data from the ring can be synchronized to another smart device.
The Duke of Sussex has been wearing the Oura even before the COVID-19 crisis. In 2018, Harry was seen with a Heritage black version of the device on his fingers during a royal trip to Australia with his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
But a recent study from the University of California San Francisco and San Diego revealed that the Oura could also "foreshadow" if the wearer is sick with COVID-19 even if he's asymptomatic. Following a study of 50 people, the Oura accurately determined which wearers were positive for the virus through continuous data generation of their body temperatures. A high body temperature is a common symptom of the disease.
The study experts said that the Oura is a better temperature indicator than a thermometer since it checks continuously for as long as it's on the owner's finger. As a result, this could help the infected from isolating and getting tested earlier, thus preventing further virus spread at their home or workplace.
The special ring has reportedly doubled in production and sales during the first global lockdown. The National Basketball Association (NBA) bought 2,000 units before the games resumed in the middle of the year.
Meanwhile, it's unfortunate that Harry will not have a face-to-face reunion with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, when they discuss the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's "review" this March due to COVID-19. According to Daily Mail, Harry has not yet contacted the Queen or the royal staff to plan the meeting, but the schedule should be laid out in the coming weeks. However, it is understood that the Duke of Sussex won't be traveling back to his home country because non-essential trips are currently discouraged in the United Kingdom for its third nationwide lockdown.
Harry and Meghan's review would be related to their royal step back last March 2020. The Queen gave the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a year to see if their plans to become financially independent from the royal family will prove to be successful. The couple expressed that they want to do things differently than be constricted and bounded by protocols as working royals.
