From a fever to a dry cough, coronavirus is known to be associated with a range of unpleasant symptoms.
Now, doctors have revealed that they’ve also seen several patients with worryingly low oxygen levels, despite the fact that they seem completely healthy.
The phenomenon, which doctors are calling ‘happy hypoxia’, raises questions about how coronavirus attacks the lungs.
Speaking to The Guardian, Dr Jonathan Bannard-Smith, a consultant in critical care at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said: “It’s intriguing to see so many people coming in, quite how hypoxic they are.
“We’re seeing oxygen saturations that are very low and they’re unaware of that. We wouldn’t usually see this phenomenon in influenza or community-acquired pneumonia.
“It’s very much more profound and an example of very abnormal physiology going on before our eyes.”
In most cases, extremely low oxygen levels would cause patients to become unconscious, and can even prove fatal.
Dr Mike Charlesworth, an anaesthetist at Wythenshawe Hospital, said: “With pneumonia or a pulmonary embolism they wouldn’t be sat up in bed talking to you. We just don’t understand it.
“We don’t know if it’s causing organ damage that we’re not able to detect. We don’t understand if the body’s compensating.”
While the reason for the ‘happy hypoxia’ remain unclear, scientists suggest that subtle clotting in the lungs could set off a cascade of proteins that prevent the blood from getting enough oxygen.
Based on the findings, scientists are urging doctors to avoid aggressive treatments including ventilators unless completely necessary.
For example, a study last month found that flipping patients onto their stomachs could improve their oxygen levels, without the need for a ventilator.
