The Oura Ring: How One Tiny Wearable Helped a Nurse Predict Illness

When registered nurse Mia Torres started feeling off, it was her Oura Ring that caught the first warning signs. The ring—a sleek wearable developed in Finland—detected subtle changes in her heart rate variability (HRV), temperature, and sleep quality. Within 48 hours, Mia tested positive for COVID. “I didn’t feel sick yet, but the Oura app told me something was off,” she recalls. That heads-up let her isolate early and inform her patients. Originally designed to optimize sleep and recovery for athletes, the Oura Ring has found new audiences in healthcare and wellness. For Mia, it’s a daily tool: “I check my readiness score every morning. It helps me understand when to push myself and when to rest.” More than a fitness tracker, Oura offers personalized insights by learning a user’s unique baseline. In Mia’s case, it became an unexpected early-warning system—and a new way to listen to her body.