advertisement

the invisibility of covid-19's 'happy hypoxia'

some patients appear normal, yet their oxygen levels are 'seemingly incompatible with life.'

the invisibility of covid-19's 'happy hypoxia'
a finger pulse oximeter can measure oxygen saturation and pulse rate. they are useful for detecting oxygenation problems and elevated heart rates when patients are asymptomatic. getty images

at this point, covid-19 is so much more than a respiratory illness. week by week, doctors are discovering new ways the novel coronavirus affects the body. but of all the new and surprising symptoms that have appeared — such as strokes and blood clotting  and in children, the rare kawasaki disease and purple toe rashes — ‘silent hypoxia’ might be the most confusing.

normal blood-oxygen saturation is between 95 and 100 per cent. low oxygen levels in the body — also known as hypoxia — can lead to shortness of breath, which is one of the most well-known symptoms of covid-19. but just because a patient doesn’t appear ill, doesn’t mean they’re not significantly affected.
increasingly, patients are presenting with “silent” or “happy hypoxia,” where the body’s oxygen levels are well below 90 per cent, yet they’re still able to breathe normally. no shortness of breath, no fast or shallow breathing, and likely no signs, symptoms, or sense that something may be off.
patients are unaware their bodies are deprived of oxygen and while they should be gasping for air, but instead appear to be perfectly normal and comfortable.

on figure 1, the medical sharing app, there are reports of covid-19 patients admitted into the emergency department talking and seeming perfectly alert but with oxygen levels in the 60s.

advertisement

advertisement

although a patient may not at all appear ill or show any signs of having trouble breathing, their chest x-ray can show “dangerously low oxygen levels and terrible pneumonia,” writes dr. richard levitin, an emergency physician in new york city, in an op-ed for the new york times.

the patients levitin met were still talking and scrolling on their phones, yet had such low oxygen-saturation levels that were “seemingly incompatible with life.” his concern was that by the time patients did have trouble breathing and presented to the emergency department, their condition had exacerbated to the point of requiring a ventilator — where breathing feels impossible and the mortality rate is extremely high .

what causes silent hypoxia?

there are several hypotheses what causes silent hypoxia in people with covid-19. some think the lungs are affected by blood clotting the lungs , which sets off proteins that prevent the blood from getting its necessary oxygen. it’s also possible that silent hypoxia could be a slow and steady decline in oxygen that patients acclimatize to the reduce oxygen and don’t notice, similar to how hikers acclimatize to higher altitudes. but all this is still not known .

advertisement

advertisement

what’s known is that silent hypoxia can eventually lead to shortness of breath, but by that point lung damage has already gotten worse — putting a further stress on a body that’s already struggling to fight off the virus.
not sure how to detect an invisible oxygen deprivation? luckily, a small over-the-counter device commonly found counter in pharmacies can help provide an answer at home. place a pulse oximeter on your finger and it will measure and display your oxygen saturation and pulse rate within seconds.

with many patients afraid to visit a hospital , home monitoring (with the consultation of a family physician via telemedicine) could help early detection and prevent exacerbated conditions.

diana duong is a writer and editor at healthing. find her on twitter @dianaduo.
don’t miss the latest on covid-19, reopening and life. subscribe to healthing’s daily newsletter covid life

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.